Tick-Tock, Tuck It In

[Verse 1]
You brought home a ticket stub
From a train that crossed the rain
A chipped blue cup from Lisbon
A map with salt along the frame
Each little thing says, “Look how far”
Each little mark says, “Look how long”
You set them by the kitchen clock
And hear the years inside their song

[Pre-Chorus]
The hands keep turning, soft and sure
While all your treasures gather dust
You count the miles that made them yours
And feel the wonder with the cost

[Chorus]
Tick-tock, tuck it in the drawer
One more little world you wore
Every keepsake, every mile
Takes a minute, leaves a smile
Tick-tock, turn the brass key round
Hear the years in what you found
Life keeps time in what we keep
Beautiful and bittersweet

[Verse 2]
A pressed leaf from the mountain road
A paper crown from your child’s parade
The tiny shell you carried home
From the summer you both stayed
You hold them up against the light
And see the days that made them shine
The clock collects your souvenirs
Then lends their weight back to your time

[Pre-Chorus]
The hands keep turning, soft and sure
While all your treasures gather dust
You count the miles that made them yours
And feel the wonder with the cost

[Chorus]
Tick-tock, tuck it in the drawer
One more little world you wore
Every keepsake, every mile
Takes a minute, leaves a smile
Tick-tock, turn the brass key round
Hear the years in what you found
Life keeps time in what we keep
Beautiful and bittersweet

[Bridge]
Don’t throw the ticket, don’t erase the stain
Don’t wish away the miles that made it yours
The clock can count, but it can’t explain
Why one small thing can open every door

[Final Chorus]
Tick-tock, tuck it in the drawer
One more little world you wore
Every keepsake, every mile
Takes a minute, leaves a smile
Tick-tock, turn the brass key round
Hear the years in what you found
Life keeps time in what we keep
Beautiful and bittersweet

[Outro]
Keep the shell, keep the ticket stub
Keep the days that made you love