[Intro]

   
   


[Verse 1]

         
Exhibit A: We 

      
are friends in

 a sleeping ba

g, splitting t

he heat.
              
We have one fi

              
lthy pillow to

             
 share, and yo

          
ur lips are in

               
 my hair.
          
Someone upstai

#        
rs has a rat t

hat we laughed

 at, and peopl

e are drinking
              
and singing th

              
at Scarbouroug

           
h Fair on a uk

/                
ulele dare.


[Instrumental]

   
   


[Verse 2]
         
Exhibit B: Wel

       
l, we found an

 apartment. It

’s not much to

 look at.
              
A futon on a f

             
loor. Torn-off

          
      desktop 

                     
for    a door.
         
All the decor'

           
s made of milk

 crates and du

ct tape, and i

f we have sex
              
they can hear 

              
us through the

             
 floor, but we

          
 don’t do that

                
 anymore.


[Chorus 1]

            
And I lay ther

           
e wondering "W


hat is the mat

ter?"
         
"Is this a mat

        
ter of worse o

r of better?"
            
You took the b

        
lanket, so I t

ook the bedshe

et
            
but I would ha

           
ve held you if

  
 you'd only...
N.C.
...let me.


[Instrumental]

   
   


[Verse 3]
         
Exhibit C: Loo

        
k how quaint a

nd how quiet a

nd private.
              
Our paychecks 

              
have bought us

             
 a condo in to

              
wn. It's the n

         
icest flat    

              
around.
             
You picked a m

        
attress and ha

d it delivered

, and I walked

 upstairs
              
and the sight 

              
of it made my 

             
heart   pound,

          
 and I wrapped

             
 my arms aroun

            
d me.


[Chorus 2]

            
And I stood th

           
ere wondering:

   
 "What is the 

matter?"
         
"Is this a mat

        
ter of worse o

r of better?"
            
You walked rig

           
ht past me and

   
 straightened 

the covers
            
but I would st

           
ill love you i

       
f you wanted a

 lover.


[Bridge]
         
And you said: 

all the money 

in the...
       
world won't bu

      
y   a    bed s

          
o big and wide
     
to guarantee t

hat you won't.

..
       
ac- ci-  den- 

     
tally touch me

                    
 in the night.


[Instrumental]

                  


[Verse 4]
         
Exhibit D: Now

        
 we're both mo

stly paralyzed

. Don't know h

ow long
              
we've been lyi

             
ng here in fea

          
r, too afraid 

             
to even   feel

          
.
          
I find my glas

#       
ses and you tu

rn the light o

ut, roll off o

n your side
              
like you've ro

              
lled away for 

             
years, holding

          
 back those ki

             
ng-size    tea

           
rs.


[Chorus 3]

            
And I still do

           
n't ask you: "

  
What is the ma

tter?"
          
"Is this a mat

       
ter of worse o

r of better?"
            
You take the h

           
eart failure, 


I'll take the 

cancer.
            
I've long stop

           
ped wondering 

 
why you don't 

answer.


[Instrumental]

   
   
   
   


[Verse 5]

         
Exhibit E: You

      
 can certainly

 see how fulfi

lling a life
              
from the cost 

              
and size of st

          
one of our fin

            
al resting hom

          
e.
           
We got some ni

            
ce ones right 

 
under a cherry

 tree.
              
You and me lyi

              
ng the only wa

             
y we know: sid

          
e by side and 

             
still and cold

         
.


[Chorus 4]

            
And I finally 

        
ask you: "What

 was the matte

r?"
         
"Was it a matt

       
er of worse or

 of better?"
            
You stretch yo

           
ur arms out an

   
d finally face

 me. You say:
            
"I would have 

          
told you if yo

u'd only asked

 me, if you'd 

only asked me,

 if you'd only

 asked me."


[Outro]