Page 84 of Dirty Love

Is that all? Anything else?I want to ask. But I don’t want to steal that light in her eye. Who we are to each other and how we handle that can be a problem for another day. “It just so happens that I’m going that way myself. I’ll see that you get there safely.”

—forty—

Tabitha

For the first time this tour, our show is electric. There’s this energy that snaps in an amazing show. Songs slide together smoothly, transitions carry the crowd with them, you don’t lose anyone.

And when you get to the end of a song, the stadium roars.

It’s deafening.

It’s my favorite sound in the universe.

There’s probably some good psychology there, why I like to be drowned out, but I don’t give a fuck tonight.

I’m on fire.

When I get toWicked Line, I’m excited to share the new lyrics. This is version three-point-oh on this song, and frankly, maybe nobody else but me will care about the changes I’ve made.

Maybe I’m the only one that needs to care about them.

I march right to center stage and stick my mic on the stand. For this one, I want my hands free. I want to shake them in warning and wave them in praise. I want to dance with my people as I weave them a cautionary tale…with a happy fucking ending.

I can’t give them the preamble that I want. I can’t stand here in front of thousands of people and say,I’m finally free. Not yet. But I can sing it.

And I do.

Took a chance on a wicked line

Slick smile, knowing eyes

Was talked into heaven

By a pack of lies

Tumble

Stumble

Get back up

Gimme

Grab me

Flash a smile

Takeaway lesson

Nobody cares

Took a chance on a wicked line

Fast talker, grubby hound

But his dirty secrets

Couldn’t keep me bound

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