[Intro]
(spoken, over idling diesel and acoustic guitar)
Spring thaw. Time to head to Chimo. Gotta pick the bones out of the pile.

[Verse 1]
The frost is gone, the mud is deep, the diesel's running rough
I got a list of lumber in my head, and I know it's gonna be tough
To find a two-by-four that's straight and true, without a knot or a crown
'Cause one bad stud in a partition wall can bring a whole house down

[Chorus]
Click goes the chalk line, snap on the wood
That's the metronome for a year of framing, and it sounds so good
I'm grading every board like a bomb disposal man
One twisted stud can throw a marriage a quarter-inch out of plumb, and that's the plan

[Verse 2]
I sort the rejects to the bone pile, for the DIY dummies
They'll grab a warped one every time, and then they'll blame their hubbies
But me, I take my time, I run my hand along the grain
I check the ends for cracking, and I check the middle for strain

[Chorus]
Click goes the chalk line, snap on the wood
That's the metronome for a year of framing, and it sounds so good
I'm grading every board like a bomb disposal man
One twisted stud can throw a marriage a quarter-inch out of plumb, and that's the plan

[Bridge]
Brenda says I'm crazy, spending Saturdays like this
But she knows that a crooked wall will never pass her kiss
You gotta let it set, don't panic, let the cure take hold
Whether it's concrete, marriage, or a story that gets told

[Chorus]
Click goes the chalk line, snap on the wood
That's the metronome for a year of framing, and it sounds so good
I'm grading every board like a bomb disposal man
One twisted stud can throw a marriage a quarter-inch out of plumb, and that's the plan

[Outro]
So I load 'em up, straight as a promise, and I drive away slow
The old work truck idles low
And I pray to the saint of straight lumber that this season will be kind
'Cause a house built out of plumb is a house that's hard to find.