taxidermy summer

[VERSE 1]

Nice tan, peach skin

something restless underneath

bare feet burning on concrete

cheap wine, split lips

little lies and little sips

making promises we'd never keep

we were young, we were gorgeous

we were bored out of our minds

and getting very good at looking otherwise

[PRE-CHORUS]

chin up

eyes bright

give them your good side

[Chorus]

taxidermy summer

hold that pose

everybody looks alive

if nobody gets too close

taxidermy summer

sewn together; composed

keep everything inside

but what you choose to show

something here has been dead

something here has been dead

(for quite some time)

[Verse 2]

we were sweet, we were vicious

we were hard to resist

we knew just when to hurt

and just where to kiss

we were sun-drunk and stupid

with impeccable skin

taking pictures of the outside

so nobody looked in

we had nothing to say

and all summer to say it

by August, even happiness

looked a little taxidermied

PRE-CHORUS]

chin up

eyes bright

give them your good side

[Chorus]

taxidermy summer

hold that pose

everybody looks alive

if nobody gets too close

taxidermy summer

sewn together; composed

keep everything inside

but what you choose to show

something here has been dead

something here has been dead

(for quite some time)

[bridge]

the names, the dates

the proof we were there

the beautiful evidence

that nobody cared

and maybe that's living

or close enough still

you can make anything last

if you're willing to kill it

[Chorus]

taxidermy summer

hold that pose

everybody looks alive

if nobody gets too close

taxidermy summer

sewn together; composed

keep everything inside

but what you choose to show

something here has been dead

something here has been dead

(for quite some time)

[outro]

August came.

Nothing changed.

The fruit went soft.

We stayed the same.