How Long

She might not know it, but she wears my heart on her sleeve
And I know this for sure by the hole in my chest
And the bloodstains that run down her street
And I can't deny all the times I've tried
Tried to get her out of my mind
Boy, I believe you, it's not easy to do
It's just going to take some time

How long?
How long am I going to feel this way?

Cause it's been almost one year since the last time that I saw her face
That pretty little girl with the smile of a sheep
The style of a wolf with drawn fangs
And once in a while, I still walk down the road
Down the street where we had lived
I bet you're hoping to see her and not really need her
And thinking to yourself

How long?
How long am I going to feel this way?
How long?
How long until something washes this away?

Cause each dam's still burning and water's still drowning in flame
At night when I sleep, her ghost crawls in my sheets
I hear her voice calling out my name
Man, I'm not going to lie
I've fought and I've tried so hard to push it away
Boy, I see right through you
You loved her
You still do
Only time will heal your pain

How long?
How long am I going to feel this way?
How long?
How long until something washes her away?

Cause she wears me down, man
She wears me out like the knees in my blue jeans
And I can only patch them so many times with whiskey
Before it starts killing me
Yeah, she wears me down, man
She wears me thin like the threads in that old dress
Like the one I got for her out in Albuquerque
When I was heading home from the west coast

She might not know it, but she wears my heart on her sleeve
Cause I stitched on tight the last in November
The last day that she had seen me