[Verse]
            
I just stepped

              
 on a plane, m

  
y bags on the 

shelf
            
I find my seat

              
 in the middle

             
 and plan to k


eep to myself
            
The pilot come

              
s on, says "th

      
ere's been a d

elay"
            
And I sigh, bu

              
ckle up, and p

   
repare for the

 wait

            
There's a midd

              
le-aged woman 

      
on my right by

 the window
            
No ring on her

              
 finger maybe 

   
divorced or a 

widow?
            
She's drafting

              
 an email and 

     
from where I a

m seated
            
I can side-eye

              
 that shit, so

    
 of course I'm

 gon' read it

It said:
            
Dear McCracken

     
…
              
This is alread

            
y great dude's

              
 got a pen pal

       
 and a killer 

last name
            
She opens with

              
 an inside jok

  
e and she's ho

pin'
            
to set a casua

              
l tone, her wo

    
rds carefully 

chosen
            
She was sure t

              
hat her week s

        
pent in Housto

n would drag,
            
but then a fac

              
e from her pas

          
t quickly chan

ged all of tha

t
            
The trip was f

              
or business, s

     
he's used to t

he travel,
            
but this time 

              
she's not read

          
y to head back

 to Seattle

            
Dear McCracken

            
, I'd rather b

              
e off this pla

     
ne
              
I can't admit 

            
the half of it

              
 that I want t

      
o say
              
Do I pretend? 

     
Do I push you 

away?
            
I'm jet laggin

              
' McCracken an

       
d I'll give yo

u, I'll give y

ou your space

                  

            
I can tell by 

              
the abuse of t

   
he backspace k

ey
            
there's a hear

              
t balanced on 

        
how her words 

are perceived
            
She's retyped 

              
that fourth pa

   
ragraph four t

imes
             
Swinging the t

             
one back and f

              
orth until she

   
's so satisfie

d
            
That he knows 

              
that even thou

         
gh their paths

 have diverged
            
There's an air

              
 of regret but

       
 not enough to

 reverse

            
And I am stunn

              
ed, there I si

        
t, completely 

convinced
            
That once you 

              
grow old you s

    
top dealin' wi

th this
            
The uncertain,

              
 the hurtin', 

    
the feelin lik

e dirt
            
When things do

              
n't work out b

      
y the fall of 

the curtain
            
She hits send,

              
 powers off, a

         
nd we're ready

 to go
            
And I am sad f

              
or the passion

         
 that McCracke

n, he might ne

ver know

            
Dear McCracken

            
, I'd rather b

              
e off this pla

     
ne
              
I can't admit 

            
the half of it

              
 that I want t

       
o say
              
Do I pretend? 

     
Do I push you 

away?
            
I'm jet laggin

              
' McCracken an

       
d I’ll give yo

u, I'll give y

ou your...

            
Dear McCracken

            
, I'm keepin' 

              
this on my che

     
st
              
I said a lot o

             
f things but n

             
one of them wh

             
at I meant
              
Do I pretend? 

     
Do I try to fo

rget?
            
I'm jet laggin

              
' McCracken an

    
d I wish you, 

I wish you the

 best

                  

            
And I thought,

            
 I thought by 

            
that age
           
Our broken hea

rts had seen t

heir worst
            
And I thought 

            
that kind of h

             
eartache was m


eant
              
For the young 

          
but we're neve

r too old to h

urt

            
And I thought,

            
 I thought by 

            
that age
           
Our broken hea

rts had seen t

heir worst
            
And I thought 

            
that kind of h

             
eartache was m


eant
              
For the young 

          
but we're neve

r too old to h

urt

[Instrumental]
                  

            
I just stepped

              
 off a plane, 

     
I've got one r

egret
            
I know I'll ne

              
ver get closur

          
e or ever see 

how it ends
            
No I won't kno

              
w his answer, 

     
what happens b

etween them
            
And why she ke

              
pt her cards s

             
o close even s


he couldn't se

e them
            
What gave her 

              
such pause? Wh

       
en she so clea

rly wanted
            
To tell you al

              
l the emotions

           
 she tried so 

hard to bottle
            
And I'll never

              
 know why she 

         
kept the hones

t truth from y

ou
    
But oh Dear Mc

Cracken
       
In the rough d

raft
          
Oh in the roug

h draft
              
In the rough d

              
raft she loved

    
 you