Verse 1
The drywall’s got a memory of a fist that wasn’t yours
And the kitchen linoleum is worn down by the tours
Of a man who paced the midnight like a cage he couldn't break
I was three feet tall and dreaming, sleeping through the ache.
You were fighting lions in the basement of your head
While I was counting glow-stick stars above my bed.
Chorus
But you were there for the whistle, you were there for the light
With a ghost in your pocket and a hell of a fight.
You smelled like the cedar and the cheap glass you broke
A giant who dwindled in a cloud of white smoke.
Yeah, the medicine won, and the bottle stayed full
But you never missed a Sunday, and that’s the hardest pull.
Verse 2
I remember the shivering in the front row of the bleachers
You were hiding your eyes from the moms and the teachers.
I thought it was the winter, thought the cold had made you thin
I didn’t know the chemistry was dissolving your skin.
You gave me the best of what was left on the bone
While you were starving in a desert, entirely alone.
Bridge
Now I’m standing at the height that you used to be
Looking for the versions of you that I couldn't see.
Is it a tragedy or a triumph, I can’t quite decide
That you showed up for me while you were burning inside?
The soil is heavy, but the habit was worse
I’m carrying the blessing, but I’m fearing the curse.
Chorus
'Cause you were there for the whistle, you were there for the light
With a ghost in your pocket and a hell of a fight.
You smelled like the cedar and the cheap glass you broke
A giant who dwindled in a cloud of white smoke.
Yeah, the medicine won, and the bottle stayed full
But you never missed a Sunday, and that’s the hardest pull.
Outro
I’m still three feet tall when I look at your name.
I’m sorry the spark didn’t like the flame.
Yeah, I’m sorry the spark didn’t like the flame.
Keep a seat for me, Dad.
I’ll be there for the whistle.
