[Verse]
I saw a guitar man on the corner
Hands all trembling like the strings might break
Every note wobbled
Slid out of order
Bent the whole sidewalk with each mistake
I felt my cool heart start to drip and pour
[Prechorus]
Why did that crooked rhythm grab my chest?
Why did my steady breathing turn to unrest?
[Chorus]
That shaky playing
Shaking me apart
Shaky playing
Crawling up my heart
I was melting down
Couldn’t stand the sound
So wild
So wrong
It spun me around
Shaky playing
And I turned and ran from town
[Verse 2]
His foot hit the ground like a nervous hammer
The chords came crashing in a twisted row
Spastic little bursts
An off-beat stammer
Every missed landing made the whole thing glow
I felt my feet twitch
But I couldn’t stay
[Prechorus]
Was it fear or some strange kind of thrill?
Can broken timing move you against your will?
[Chorus]
That shaky playing
Shaking me apart
Shaky playing
Crawling up my heart
I was melting down
Couldn’t stand the sound
So wild
So wrong
It spun me around
Shaky playing
And I turned and ran from town
[Bridge]
Maybe I ran ‘cause it hit too true
Like every off-key moment I’ve stumbled through
Maybe that busted solo knew my name
Turned my quiet life into a blistered flame
[Chorus]
That shaky playing
Shaking me apart
Shaky playing
Crawling up my heart
I was melting down
Couldn’t stand the sound
So wild
So wrong
It spun me around
Shaky playing
Shaky playing
Till I ran
But the rhythm’s still chasing me down