You can have Charleston
The cobblestone streets
The steeples looking down on the battery
The Topsails and the Clydesdales
Pullin' people all around
The ocean breeze and the live oak trees
God, I'm gonna miss this town
But you can have Charleston
I'll pack up and leave
Maybe find a spot on the West Coast
Give you lots of room to breathe
With your new life and your new love
I won't get in your way
I'll just wish you well, and I'll try like Hell
To smile and walk away
From my home and my heart
Where I was born and raised
Where one day they're gonna take my body
And lay it in a grave
My soul don't wanna go
But it's gotta be this way
It's gonna break my heart to say goodbye
But it'll kill me if I stay
So you can have Charleston
It's really for the best
Girl, it's your town now, plus, I can never rest
There are too many ghosts on this old coast
Too many memories
It's where we met and we fell in love
And where you cut me deep, and you made me bleed
In my home and my heart
Where I was born and raised
Where one day, they're gonna take my body
And lay it in a grave
No, my soul don't wanna go
But it's gotta be this way
It's gonna break my heart to say goodbye
But it'll kill me if I stay
From time to time, I might be passin' through
But I promise you, that's all I'll do
You can have Charleston
I'll take these broken dreams
Load 'em up in a suitcase
And see where it leads
I'll take 26
Until I get a million miles away
I'll try to start all over
In a brand-new place
Oh, you can have Charleston
Take care of Charleston, oh
You can have Charleston