The Avett Brothers Open Ended Life Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Pack a change of clothes and a pillow for the road
For when you drift off to sleep
Put the sketches and the notes in the box labeled 'burn with furniture'

We will watch the fire burn the whole entire house we built
Down to ashes
From the mirror we'll admire how the flame quickly retires
We won't waste a long goodbye on the smoke or foolish lies
That finally passed us

[Chorus]
I was taught to keep an open-ended life
And never trap myself in nothing

[Verse 2]
Let's find something new to talk about
I'm tired of talkin' about myself
I spent my whole life talkin' to convince
Everyone that I was something else

And the part that kinda hurts is I think it finally worked
And now I'm leaving
I get the feeling things have changed
But the mystery to me is where and when along the way
Did anyone decide that they believed me

[Chorus]
I was taught to keep an open-ended life
And never trap myself in nothing
I was told to keep an open-ended life
To never trap yourself in nothing

[Verse 3]
When we settle down in another nowhere town
Let's tell our neighbors
We won't be here long and we'll be quiet
But don't go askin' any favors

I can't stand the unexpected uninvited visits
From too many strangers
My trust has dwindled down
And I can leave just as abruptly as I came here

[Chorus]
I was taught to keep an open-ended life
And never trap myself in nothing
I was taught to keep an open-ended life
To never trap yourself in nothing
I was taught to keep an open-ended life
And never trap myself in nothing