[Verse]
Anna was eight when she built her first rocket
Her dad said her heart never came down again
When her friends pinned up Justin and Ben in their lockers
Fifteen-year-old Anna had Grissom and Glenn
Glued to her laptop, ignoring her thesis
She watched every mission, until the day when
Those noble old sisters were grounded forever
At twenty-two, it was the first time I'd known her to cry
She asked if I thought we would ever again learn to fly

[Verse]
She walked off her job on the day they announced
They were going back up after fifteen years' wait
The college professor drew snickers in training
"You're too old, you're too soft, it's too hard, it's too late"
Ah, but no one could ever tell Anna it's raining
Or stop her from being first out of the gate
And her family all said she should try
Was there doubt she would pass? She was top of her class
And they made her the offer to fly

[Bridge]
In the gantry's tall shadow, her love said, "I'll miss you
But we both know your place is the sky
I'm standing behind you, when I need to find you
I just have to lift up my eyes"
And she kissed her brave lover goodbye
[Verse]
The missions came one on the heels of another
Farther and farther than ever before
The head of her crew and the pride of her family
Once tasted the stars, she could only want more
We were none of us shocked when they found a new system
And the call came for all volunteers to explore

[Outro]
She said she'd return, that we’d see her again
But I think that she knew
And she knew we did, too
That it was a lie
The day that Anna learned to fly