THE FIRE WE LEAVE BURNING [Verse 1] Red light trembling on the window, Midnight breathing on your skin. Outside, the river keeps its secrets, Inside, I let the fever in. Iron, timber, smoke and flame, A city swallowed by the night. But nothing ever burned like this, Nothing ever felt so right. Your shadow moving through the lamplight, Every wall comes crashing down. Let the sirens sing their warning. There's no saving me now. [Pre-Chorus] Come closer. Let the whole world disappear. Put your hands against my heartbeat. Feel the havoc starting here. [Chorus] LET CHICAGO BURN TONIGHT! Let the red sky split the blue! If the world goes up in embers, I'll spend my last breath choosing you. Let the river carry ashes, Let the blackened heavens fall. I'd find you in the wreckage. I'd love you through it all. When the morning turns to gold, I'll still want you when we're old. Not just tonight, not just this week. You're the fire I'll always keep. [Verse 2] Your hair across the pillow, Your laughter in the dark. Your body close against me, Your touch becomes the spark. I want every breath and heartbeat, Every shiver, every sigh. I could spend a thousand lifetimes Learning you by candlelight. No audience, no performance, Nothing left we have to prove. Just your breath against my breathing, Just the beautiful fact of you. [Pre-Chorus 2] Come closer. There's nothing left to hide. All the miles that lay between us Turn to sparks beneath the night. I don't love you for the lightning. I don't love you just the flame. I'll love you when it's quiet, When the morning comes again. [Chorus] LET CHICAGO BURN TONIGHT! Let the red sky split the blue! If the world goes up in embers, I'll spend my last breath choosing you. Let the river carry ashes, Let the blackened heavens fall. I'd find you in the wreckage. I'd love you through it all. When the morning turns to gold, I'll still want you when we're old. Not just tonight, not just this week. You're the fire I'll always keep. [Bridge: Sudden silence, intimate piano and vocal] There will be mornings without thunder, There will be nights without a spark. There will be days when life grows heavy, When the world turns cold and dark. I don't choose you for the burning. I choose you for who you are. For your joy and for your sorrow, For the light inside your heart. I choose today. I choose tomorrow. Every truth and every scar. I don't need the world in flames To know you're my heart. [Instrumental Build: Cello, rising guitars, pounding drums] [Final Chorus: Full band, soaring vocal] LET CHICAGO BURN TONIGHT! Let the heavens turn to flame! If I had a thousand lifetimes, I'd choose you every day. Let the old world turn to ashes, Let the stars fall from the blue. When the fever fades to embers, I'll still be here loving you. When the years have silvered through, I'll still wake up choosing you. Not just tonight, not just this week. You're the fire I'll always keep. Every sunrise. Every season. Every breath and every reason. The city burned and rose again. I'd choose you, again and again. [Outro: Piano alone, barely whispered] Chicago burned. The city survived. And when tomorrow comes, I'll still choose you. Forever.
