For Everything You Gave

[Verse 1]
You wore the same old coat for years
So we could have new shoes at school
You stayed up late at the kitchen table
Turning every worry into fuel
[Chorus]
Thank you for the days you went without
So we could learn what life’s about
For every tired step you never showed
For carrying a weight we’ll never know
Thank you for the life you gave to us
Built on faith and broken sleep and love
We are standing where we are today
On every sacrifice you made
[Verse 2]
You hid your tears behind the door
Smiled and said
“I’m doing fine”
You patched up dreams with second jobs
So we could chase and call them mine
[Chorus]
Thank you for the days you went without
So we could learn what life’s about
For every tired step you never showed
For carrying a weight we’ll never know
Thank you for the life you gave to us
Built on faith and broken sleep and love
We are standing where we are today
On every sacrifice you made
[Bridge]
One day I’ll tell my children
How you lit the dark for me (oh yeah)
And I’ll try to love them half as much
As you loved quietly
[Chorus]
Thank you for the days you went without
So we could learn what life’s about
For every tired step you never showed
For carrying a weight we’ll never know
Thank you for the life you gave to us
Built on faith and broken sleep and love
We are standing where we are today
On every sacrifice you made
On every sacrifice you made

Warm acoustic pop ballad with gentle piano and fingerpicked guitar, soft pads underneath. Male vocals up close and intimate in the verses; chorus blooms with harmonies and light percussion. Subtle strings lift the bridge and final hook, building from a quiet start to a heartfelt, sing-along ending.