[Intro]
Oh, the roads we travel, under weight we bear,
A little town, a stormy night, struggling our share.
[Verse 1]
Back in Ottawa, Kansas, the weight of the past,
Four free nights at a hotel, but I knew they wouldn’t last.
Birthday candles flickering, but I was chasing dreams,
Doordashing for survival, pulling at the seams.
Chasing cigarettes and coffee, drugs in the back,
Four bald tires spinning, felt like I was off track.
Every honk and every mile, a reminder of the strife,
Trying to please a shadow that never felt like life.
[Pre-Chorus]
Yelled at for my failings, a ticket for my plight,
Each wrong turn and stray dollar, further from the light.
[Chorus]
But the storm broke the silence, set the shadows free,
February brought change, a chance for me to breathe.
I didn’t know then, but now it’s crystal clear,
Sometimes you must lose to find what you hold dear.
[Verse 2]
Bed sores on your heart, bruises on your soul,
Tried to be the answer, but I lost all control.
Behind my back you're lying, painting stories so untrue,
Said I wouldn’t lay next to you, oh, what’s a heart to do?
Hustling through the days, with no tags on the ride,
Searching for the silver lining in a life of patient pride.
But love was twisted shadows, wrapped in bitter chains,
And I was just a stranger, drowning in the pain.
[Pre-Chorus]
I took my heart and placed it on a bed of broken glass,
Each cut and edge reminding me this storm wouldn’t last.
[Chorus]
But the storm broke the silence, set the shadows free,
February brought change, a chance for me to breathe.
I didn’t know then, but now it’s crystal clear,
Sometimes you must lose to find what you hold dear.
[Bridge]
The night was long and heavy, but dawn began to rise,
In the wreckage of our story, I saw a brand new sky.
Could’ve let it drown me, could’ve been your ghost,
But freedom called my name, whispered, “Let her go.”
[Chorus]
Now the storm broke the silence, set the shadows free,
February brought change, and now it’s just me.
I didn’t know then, but I’m finally aware,
Sometimes you must lose to find what’s truly fair.
[Outro]
Oh, Ottawa, dark days behind,
Tides are shifting, I leave those chains behind.
And though the struggle was deep and love filled with strife,
It led me to the moment I could finally choose my life.