Mercy Keeps a Spare Key

Mm... mercy keeps a spare key... mm

I locked myself out of my own good name
Stood on the porch of everything I'd done
(Everything I'd done)
Pockets turned inside out, nothing in them
Just a button and a bus ticket and a prayer I'd lost the front of
(Lost the front of)
The neighbors' windows glowed like small forgiveness
(Small forgiveness)
I knocked on mine, in case someone was home
(Was anyone home)
And all the shame stood waiting at the doorframe
Said you don't get back in, you've been too long gone

Then something cold and little in the flowerpot
Caught the lamplight like a wink
(Small and patient)
And I knew before I touched it
I knew before I thought
(Before I thought)

Mercy keeps a spare key
Under the pot by the door
Mercy keeps a spare key
It was there, it was always there
(Always there)
(Right there)

You don't have to break the window
You don't have to beg or bleed
Mm, under the pot
(Under the pot)
Mm, by the door
(By the door)
Mm, all the time
(By the door)
Mm, all the time
(All the time)

I turned it slow, the way you turn a secret
The hallway smelled of cooking and of home
(Like it did when I was small)
There was a plate left out beneath a napkin
There was a note that only said, "Come in"
(Come in)
No lecture on the table, no accounting
No ledger of the nights I stayed away
(Stayed away)
Just a lamp left on since I was nineteen
(Since nineteen)
And the mother of the house was humming in the kitchen
As if I'd only stepped out for the bread
(Out for the bread)

Then something cold and little in my hand
Turned over like a heart
(Held breath)
And I knew what I had carried
Was never what was keeping me out
(Keeping me out)

Mercy keeps a spare key
Under the pot by the door
Mercy keeps a spare key
It was there, it was always there
(La porte est ouverte)

La porte est ouverte, mon ami
La porte est ouverte, mon ami
La porte est ouverte, welcome home
Umusa, umusa, umusa
Umusa, umusa, umusa
(Umusa)
Grace, grace, grace
(Grace)
Come in out of the cold
(Come in)
Come in out of the rain
(Come in)
Whoever you were when you left
Is not who's asked to explain
(Not who's asked)
The key is in your hand now
Turn it like you're certain
(Turn it, turn it)
(Come in)

Mercy keeps a spare key
Under the pot by the door
Mercy keeps a spare key
It's been waiting there for me
(Grace)
Come in out of the cold

You don't have to break the window
You don't have to beg or bleed
Mm, under the pot
(Under the pot)
Mm, by the door
(By the door)

Mercy keeps a spare key
Mm... come in
(Come in)
(Come in)
Mm... the lamp is on
(Come in)