You shouldn't kiss guardrails
Because they have chapped lips
And the jagged edges
Will slice your tongue
Whenever you touch them

You shouldn't kiss guardrails
Because metal on metal
Isn't a forgiving sound
But you already know that
From when you had your first kiss
And you were each wearing braces

You shouldn't kiss telephone poles
Because they are sensitive
And will bite your lip with an electric current
But not in the way that you were hoping

And rear view mirrors aren't for decoration
But you never bothered to look at them
When you were desperately switching lanes
And speedometers aren't for your entertainment
But you always enjoyed watching the needle fluctuate
As though your life depended on it
(It did)

And the high beams of oncoming cars
Aren't Christmas lights in restaurant windows
And crashing through the windshields
Won't bring you any closer
To the apple pie the bakery down the street made
That always reminded you of home

And even though you no longer recognize
The town you grew up in
Or the boy you fell in love with
You shouldn't kiss guardrails
Because they might kiss you back
But not in the way that you were hoping.

There's a will to live and a way to die
But death is the only one who takes his time
A broken pocket watch, the look in your eye
Like you knew this was our last goodbye

And if I don't believe in God can I still pray
That that lonesome highway will bring you back someday

I knew a girl who wasn't afraid to die
She told me that as she closed her eyes
I know a trapeze artist who doesn't use a safety net
And he hasn't fallen yet

I'm drunk again on a Friday night
Screaming into florescent lights
Flat on my back on the bathroom tile
Dear God, its been awhile

But the path to the past is all broken glass
And I cut my feet open walking back
So I hailed a taxi like it was Jesus Christ
And I told the driver to disappear into the night