Ten Years on the Shelf

(Verse 1)

I built my whole world in the shape of your name

Counted the days like a prisoner counts rain

Every birthday wish, every 11:11

Was me begging the stars for a life we’d live in

You knew how I felt, yeah you smiled when I cried

Kept me close enough, but never inside

(Pre-Chorus)

I was your maybe-someday, your “what if” in the dark

A bookmark in your story, a spare beating heart

(Chorus)

Ten years on the shelf, collecting dust and tears

While you gave forever to someone else in just one year

I was praying on my knees, you were down on one

Now she’s wearing my future and your ring in the sun

You replaced me like I never even bled

Posted “Mrs.” with a stranger and left my love for dead

Tell me, was I crazy? Was I blind?

How do you marry her and never think of me one time?

(Verse 2)

I still taste the almosts, the “we should grab coffees”

The late-night confessions you swore nobody knows me like you do

I waited like a fool in the wings of your play

You gave the starring role to a girl I’ll never meet anyway

(Pre-Chorus)

I was your safety net, your soft place to fall

Turns out you never planned on falling at all

(Chorus)

Ten years on the shelf, collecting dust and tears

While you gave forever to someone else in just one year

I was praying on my knees, you were down on one

Now she’s wearing my future and your ring in the sun

You replaced me like I never even bled

Posted “Mrs.” with a stranger and left my love for dead

Tell me, was I crazy? Was I blind?

How do you marry her and never think of me one time?

(Bridge)

I hope when you kiss her you taste my ghost

I hope when she says “I love you most”

You hear my voice in the back of your head

Saying “Remember the girl who loved you first instead?”

(Final Chorus – bigger, rawer)

Ten years on the shelf, now I’m burning it down

Gonna dance in the ashes of this one-sided crown

You can keep your white dress and your brand-new life

I’m done being the almost, the never-was wife

Yeah, you replaced me, but watch me replace the pain

I’m deleting your shadow, I’m dancing in the rain

One day I’ll laugh when somebody says your name

‘Cause real love won’t leave me waiting

Real love won’t play that game

(Outro – soft, cold smile)

Congratulations on the wedding…

I’m finally over the almost.

Bye.