You can have Charleston The cobblestone streets The steeples looking down On the Battery The Topsails and the Clydesdales Pulling 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, 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 got to 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 could never rest There're 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 My home, 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 got to 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 passing through But I promise you That's all I'll do You can have Charleston I'll take these broken dreams Load 'em in up in a suitcase And see where it leads I'll take 26 until I get A million miles away I'll try and start all over In a brand new place, oh You can have Charleston Take care of Charleston, oh You can have Charleston