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Photorealistic scene of a person holding tomatoes by a window in a French apartment, with a pastry and map on a wooden table.

Photorealistic scene of a person holding tomatoes by a window in a French apartment, with a pastry and map on a wooden table.

[Verse 1] I packed two shirts and a paperback And a suitcase that refused to close Left my town with a borrowed map And a phrasebook full of hopeful prose At the bakery I said, “Bonjour!” Then ordered something shaped like art The baker smiled and handed me four I think I bought a wedding tart [Pre-Chorus] I nod when people speak too fast I laugh when I don’t know why My little dictionary’s fading fast But my appetite is flying high [Chorus] I’m making a new life in France With a bicycle, rent, and a dream I came for romance and circumstance And stayed for the cheese and the cream I still mix up “left” and “right” I still wave at the wrong train But every awkward, splendid night Feels less like leaving home again [Verse 2] My neighbor Pierre grows tomatoes On a balcony smaller than my bed He says, “Take these, monsieur,” then later Sends three more through the garden shed I tried to fix my tiny sink With advice from someone at the bar Now water drips in perfect sync With every song from my guitar [Pre-Chorus] The landlord calls at half past ten I answer, “Oui,” with confidence He says a paragraph; I say it again And somehow that becomes a tense [Chorus] I’m making a new life in France With a bicycle, rent, and a dream I came for romance and circumstance And stayed for the cheese and the cream I still mix up “left” and “right” I still wave at the wrong train But every awkward, splendid night Feels less like leaving home again [Bridge] I miss big porches, pickup trucks And Ver mais