Tired But Still Here

[Verse 1]
Coffee gone cold
Phone face down
Same four walls
Same small town
Everybody waving
From their yards and their trucks
But I drive right past
Feeling empty as a rusted-up Ford stuck
[Chorus]
I’ve been tired, but I’m still here
Heart’s worn thin, but it’s still clear
I just wanna be loved
For the mess that I am
Lay your hand on my shaking hand
Tell me someday I’ll be proud of this road I’ve walked
Tired, but I ain’t lost
[Verse 2]
Mama keeps calling
Says “son, you alright?”
I change the subject
Laugh it off, say “I’m fine”
But this old pillow
Knows every prayer I’ve cried at night
Asking God one more time
For a flicker of some kind of light
[Chorus]
I’ve been tired, but I’m still here
Heart’s worn thin, but it’s still clear
I just wanna be loved
For the mess that I am
Lay your hand on my shaking hand
Tell me someday I’ll be proud of this road I’ve walked
Tired, but I ain’t lost
[Bridge]
Maybe hope’s not fireworks
Maybe it’s a slow sunrise
Creeping over busted fences
Catching dust in my eyes (oh)
[Chorus]
I’ve been tired, but I’m still here
Heart’s been cracked, but it’s still dear
I just wanna be loved
Right here where I stand
If you stay, I’ll learn to trust again
And I’ll look back and see a line from the cross to this old truck
Tired, but learning love
Tired, but filling up

country, Warm modern country ballad with male vocals, gentle picked acoustic guitar and soft pedal steel swells. First verse intimate and close-mic’d; chorus opens into a steady backbeat with rich low-end, light piano, and stacked harmonies on the hook. Bridge strips back to voice and guitar before a final, more hopeful chorus with subtle organ pad and a lifted key change feel in the melody.