The Mess I Made

When we first met
I'd hoped you might clean up the mess I made
And with some time and rubbing alcohol
The stains on me might fade
But nothing ever washes out the way you want it to, my dear
No, nothing ever seems to disappear

You were my shell
You were my shell

I never itemized the value of what laid between
The sunset and the sunrise and the sea
And although the years will change us
The sunshine won't fade us
You'll always be a treasure to me

And as the years went on
I finally saw a glimmer in my grime
And the both of us had dreams of staying spotless all the time
But rubbish likes to pile up in corners you can't see
And housekeeping's only for the bourgeoisie

You broke my shell
You broke my shell

I never itemized the value of what laid between
The sunset and the sunrise and the sea
And although the years will change us
The sunshine won't fade us
You'll always be a treasure to me

And when we parted ways
I knew somehow we'd both turn out okay
And these smudges won't get vacuumed up
Or scrubbed at day by day
And the linens might not get as bright as they promised on TV
But elbow grease and loving eyes are free

You were my shell
You were my shell