C  G  Em    Dm   F  G

[Verse]
     C
They sat at each end of the couch
    Em
And watched as the fire burned down
   Dm
So quiet on this winter's night
      F                  G
Not a porch light on for miles around

[Verse]
        C
Then he said, "I think I'll fill the stove
Em
It's getting time for bed"
Dm
She looked up, "I think I'll have some wine
          F                    G
How 'bout you?" she asked, and he declined

[Verse]
C
"Warren," she said
            Em
"Maybe just for tonight
      Dm
Let's fill the stove with birches
    F                 G
And watch as the fire burns bright

[Verse]
C
How long has it been?
     Em
It's been quite a while
Dm
Pour yourself half a glass and
F              G
Stay with me a little while"

[Verse]
    C
And Warren, he shook his head
      Em
As if she'd made some kind of joke
 Dm
"Birches? On a winter night?
F                  G
No, we'll fill the stove with oak"

[Verse]
 C
"Oak will burn as long and hot
     Em
As a July afternoon
Dm              F
Birch will burn itself out
       G
By the rising of the moon"

[Verse]
 C
"And you hate a cold house same as me
Em
Am I right or not?"
 Dm                          F
"All right, all right that's true"
           G
She said, "It was just a thought"

[Verse]
                C
Then she said, "Warren, you do look tired
      Em
Maybe you should go up to bed
Dm
I'll take care of the wood tonight"
 F                   G
"Oak", he told her, "Oak", she said

[Verse]
C
She listened to his footsteps
      Em
As he climbed up the stairs
         Dm
Then she pulled a sweater on her and
F                  G
Set her wine glass on a chair

[Verse]
    C
She walked down the cellar to the wood-box
       Em
It was cold as an ice chest
     Dm                   F
Then climbed back up with four logs
                   G
Each as white as a wedding dress

[Verse]
        C
And she filled the stove and poured the wine
         Em
Then she sat down on the floor
Dm
She curled her legs beneath her
F                     G
As the fire sprang to life once more

[Verse]
       C
And it filled the room with it's hungry light
       Em
And it cracked as it drew air
        Dm               F
And the shadows danced a jittery waltz
                     G
Like no one else was there

[Verse]
    C
She stood up in the heat, and
    Em
She twirled around the room
        Dm                F
And the shadows, they saw nothing
                        G
But a young girl on her honeymoon

[Verse]
        C
And she knew the time, it would be short
         Em
Soon the fire would start to fade
    Dm                   F
She thought of heat, she thought of time
    G                 C
She called it an even trade