The Thing About Things

G                            Gsus2                   C
I’ve loaned a lot of things to a lot of friends Like records and dresses and books
G                             Gsus2
And a lot of the time I never see them again
G                                     C
And in a weird way I think that that works
C                                       D
Because the thing about things is they start turn evil
G                                      C
When you start to forget what they’re for
C                                   C
And so if you’re not sure what you did with my sweater
D                                          G Gsus2
I’ll just have to love you a little bit more

[Verse 2]
G                     Gsus2                C
I had a ring it belonged to my grandfather He was a mason and gay
G                                 Gsus2
And he was distant and bitter for all of my childhood
C
We never had much to say
G                          Gsus2               C
He wasn’t the type to give tokens of affection So I stole ring when he died
G                               Gsus2
And then twenty years on when I lost it at a bar
                  C
I thought that’s fine I don't want him in my life
C                                        D
Because the thing about things is that they can start meaning things
G                 C
Nobody actually said
G                                 Gsus2
And if he couldn’t make something mean something for me
D                          G
I had to make up what it meant

[Bridge]
C           G            D                A
I can carry everything I need in one collapsing suitcase
C           G           D                A
I can carry everyone I love in one phone application
C             A                  C                A
Built to maximize the facetime of the friends I’m bent on making
C                      A
Actually I want to be alone
C
To mourn the loss
A
Of what it cost

[Verse 3]
     G                     Gsus2
I think it’s a poem and I think it keeps going
            C
And I’ve borrowed and loaned lots of things
    G                   Gsus2
And 3 nights ago in the bar where I lost it
    C
the bartender gave me the ring
G                    Gsus2               C                               G
I lie in bed With my phone in my hand Thinking what can I fix with which app
G                            Gsus2
And I call my grandfather And he doesn’t answer
C                                   G
And I have to make peace with that fact
C                                       D
Because the thing about things Is that they can start meaning
G                 C
nobody actually said
G                                 Gsus2
And if you’re not allowed to love people alive
D                                 G
Then you learn how to love people dead
C                               D                             G              C
The thing about things is that they can start meaning things nobody actually said
           G                     Gsus2
And if you’re not allowed To love people alive
D                                  G
Then you learn how to love people dead