[Verse 1]
He saw her by the gate
Hands stained with blue ink
She laughed like a dare
And he forgot to blink
Alice said, "Stay a while"
So he stayed too long
Now the hall feels smaller
And the air feels wrong
[Pre-Chorus]
He cut the feast lights low
He quit the oldest vows
Every name in the room
Feels far away now
A mirror on the wall
Shows a stranger's face
He tries to hold it still
But it slips out of place
[Chorus]
Too much time with Alice
Too much time
Too much time with Alice
And the crown unwinds
He lets them all go
One by one, one by one
Too much time with Alice
And the kingdom comes undone
[Verse 2]
The bishop sent for word
The guard stood at the door
He waved them all away
Like he needed less and more
He paced through empty rooms
Counting cracks in gold
Her name behind his teeth
Made him feel less cold
[Pre-Chorus]
He burned the treaty stacks
He missed the rain by dawn
The servants saw his hands
Shake when she was gone
He hears her in the steps
On the stair, in the stone
He laughs too hard at night
Then locks himself alone
[Chorus]
Too much time with Alice
Too much time
Too much time with Alice
And the crown unwinds
He lets them all go
One by one, one by one
Too much time with Alice
And the kingdom comes undone
[Bridge]
Now the towers lean
And the banners tear
He's talking to the dust
Like somebody's there
Alice in his mind
Like a thorn in wine
He wants to save the throne
But he lost the line
[Final Chorus]
Too much time with Alice
Too much time
Too much time with Alice
And the crown unwinds
He lets them all go
One by one, one by one
Too much time with Alice
And the kingdom comes undone
[Outro]
Alice at the gate
King alone inside
Too much time with Alice
Now the whole world hides