The Long Way Round

[Verse 1] I know the block by the paws on the pavement Milo pulls left where the bakery bends Mrs. alvarez keeps sunflower seeds in her pocket And saves me a joke for the walk to the end A courier waves from his red bicycle A spaniel salutes every bus going by I hum them a tune about making it through here And every tail answers in time [Pre-Chorus] One little hello, one leash held loose The day finds a softer pace [Chorus] We take the long way round, round the ordinary Past the corner where the old clock runs slow I sing to the dogs, and their people sing with me There’s a little bit of good wherever we go Step by step, the whole town opens A grin, a name, a wag in the sun We take the long way round, round the ordinary And somehow the miles feel lighter when we’re done [Verse 2] At the schoolyard gate, young theo knows every breed He asks if a greyhound can outrun a train Miss june walks a terrier dressed for the weather Who greets the crossing guard like a mayor again A man with a violin case joins the sidewalk He taps out a rhythm on his walking stick I make up a chorus for pippa and pepper They bark on the two and the four, just a bit [Pre-Chorus] One little hello, one leash held loose The day finds a softer pace [Chorus] We take the long way round, round the ordinary Past the corner where the old clock runs slow I sing to the dogs, and their people sing with me There’s a little bit of good wherever we go Step by step, the whole town opens A grin, a name, a wag in the sun We take the long way round, round the ordinary And somehow the miles feel lighter when we’re done [Bridge] Then the avenue rolls up its sleeves Buses breathe and the traffic streams But four small paws keep time beside me And a stranger laughs at the song i’m humming By the next green light, we’re all in tune [Final chorus] We take the long way round, round the ordinary Past the corner where the old clock runs slow I sing to the dogs, and their people sing with me There’s a little bit of good wherever we go Step by step, the whole town opens A grin, a name, a wag in the sun We take the long way round, round the ordinary And somehow the miles feel lighter when we’re done [Outro] One more block, one more hello Everybody’s got a place to go We take the long way round