[VERSE 1]
In the quiet of the night, I hear echoes in the wind
Footsteps of the life I dreamed, but never let begin
A voice that whispers softly, a name I used to know
A version of myself that I had to let go
[PRE-CHORUS]
Every corner, every street,
Holds a shadow of defeat
Not in anger, not in pain,
Just the silence that remains
[CHORUS]
These are the ghosts of could’ve been
Dancing in the might-have-been
Lovers, chances, neon skies,
All the truths we dressed in lies
Flickers in a rearview scene
Of the dreams we couldn’t win
Haunted by the quiet end
Of the ghosts of could’ve been
[VERSE 2]
I saw a spark in someone’s eyes, that never turned to flame
A letter left unopened, with no one left to blame
A song I wrote but never sang, a path I didn’t take
Moments lost in passing time, no way to recreate
[PRE-CHORUS]
Was it fate or just delay,
That we drifted far away?
I don’t cry, but I still feel
What the silence tried to heal
[CHORUS]
These are the ghosts of could’ve been
Lingering beneath the skin
Jobs we dreamed, the roads we missed,
All the stars we never kissed
Living in the in-between
Of what was and might have been
Stories with no ink to spend
Just the ghosts of could’ve been
[BRIDGE] (spoken softly or half-sung)
Maybe in some other life,
You said yes, or I tried twice
Maybe in some distant place,
I still see your face
[FINAL CHORUS]
These are the ghosts of could’ve been
Calling through the autumn wind
Echoes carved in memory
Of a life that wasn’t me
Bittersweet, not quite regret
Just a weight I can’t forget
I don’t fight, I let them in —
These ghosts of could’ve been
[OUTRO] (instrumental fade-out, soft vocal ad-libs)
Mmm… the ghosts of could’ve been…
Let them in… let them in…