Same Old Lang Syne

Met my old lover in the grocery store The snow was falling, Christmas Eve I stole behind her in the frozen foods And I touched her on the sleeve She didn't recognize the face at first But then her eyes flew open wide She went to hug me and she spilled her purse And we laughed until we cried We took her groceries to the checkout stand The food was totaled up and bagged We stood there lost in our embarra*sment As the conversation dragged We went to have ourselves a drink or two But couldn't find an open bar We bought a six-pack at the liquor store And we drank it in her car We drank a toast to innocence We drank a toast to now And tried to reach beyond the emptiness But neither one knew how She said she'd married her an architect Who kept her warm and safe and dry She would have liked to say she loved the man But she didn't like to lie I said the years had been a friend to her And that her eyes were still as blue But in those eyes I wasn't sure If I saw doubt or gratitude She said she saw me in the record stores And that I must be doing well I said the audience was heavenly But the traveling was hell We drank a toast to innocence We drank a toast to now And tried to reach beyond the emptiness But neither one knew how We drank a toast to innocence We drank a toast to time Reliving in our eloquence Another 'Auld Lang Syne' The beer was empty and our tongues were tired And running out of things to say She gave a kiss to me as I got out And I watched her drive away Just for a moment I was back at school And felt that old familiar pain And as I turned to make my way back home The snow turned into rain