Build Me Up, Layer Cake

Lyrics

[Intro]
Why'd you have to build me up…

[Verse 1]
On a steel rack, in the Ford Rouge haze
A little drop of sky-blue starts the craze
From the steady hiss of a spray gun's sigh
A '67 Galaxie, rolling by
Just a single coat, left there to dry
Didn't know you'd reach for the sky

[Chorus]
Why'd you have to build me up, layer cake, baby
Just to show me how the colors get made?
Oh, build me up, with every little shade
So my world will never, ever fade

[Verse 2]
Then came the red for a Mustang fast
A coat of gold, not meant to last
But it did, right there on the jig
Getting bigger and bigger and big
Through the oven's heat, a hundred times blessed
Putting every single layer to the test
From a tiny drip to a heavy stone
All the colors I have ever known

[Chorus]
Why'd you have to build me up, layer cake, baby
Just to show me how the colors get made?
Oh, build me up, with every little shade
So my world will never, ever fade

[Bridge]
They called you slag, just industrial waste
Scraped you away with brutal haste
With a hammer and a chisel, they knocked you free
Never saw what you were meant to be
But a single chip fell near my feet
And showed me something bitter-sweet
A tiny world of time and light
A secret door that opened wide

[Chorus]
Why'd you have to build me up, layer cake, baby
Just to show me how the colors get made?
Oh, build me up, with every little shade
So my world will never, ever fade

[Outro]
Build me up, layer cake!
Come on, come on, for goodness sake
A little more green, a little more chrome
To bring that factory feeling home