A Borrowed Song

[Verse 1]
She carried a worn-out Martin in a faded velvet case
Learned four open chords just to fake a little grace
Stole a wooden whistle from a pawnshop down on Main
And spoke about the Appalachian rain like she felt the pain
She watched the room from the corner of the crowded coffeehouse
Quiet as a shadow, hungry as a mouse
[Verse 2]
Then you walked in with a notebook full of gold
Lines about the frost and the stories left untold
She took your hand by the neon sign outside
Told you she was stranded, needed somewhere she could hide
She called your melodies the river, called her voice the stone
Said together we could build a kingdom of our own
[Chorus]
Oh, she wanted the spotlight, wanted the crowd
Wanted her mother to hear her name called out loud
She was holding a bucket with a hole in the floor
Trying to drink from a well that didn't hold any more
She thought your songs were a key to the gate
But a borrowed song can't change your fate
[Verse 3]
Six months on the circuit in a rusted Econoline
She sang off-key on your sweetest line
Tried to wear your poetry like a hand-me-down coat
But the truth got stuck right in her throat
When the scout from the label came to see the late-night show
He signed your name and told her it was time to go
[Chorus]
Oh, she wanted the spotlight, wanted the crowd
Wanted her mother to hear her name called out loud
She was holding a bucket with a hole in the floor
Trying to drink from a well that didn't hold any more
She thought your songs were a key to the gate
But a borrowed song can't change your fate
[Bridge]
Now she’s sitting at a diner three towns down the track
With a guitar she can’t play and no way turning back
Pawned your silver ring just to pay for her tea
Wondering how a thief forgot to steal a melody
[Outro]
Just a worn-out Martin case
Leaving no trace
No trace
Just a borrowed song