Eleven Years of Sundays

[Verse 1]
Tiny pink hat in my shaking hands
Name on the bracelet, I could barely stand
Watched your eyes open, heard your first cry
Thought I'd guard your heart 'til the day I died
[Verse 2]
First day of school in that crooked braid
Backpack bigger than the girl I made
You waved at the window, I waved right back
Did my best to hide every little crack
[Pre-Chorus]
Then papers got signed
Doors started closing
It still ain't right
But this heart keeps hoping
[Chorus]
It's been eleven years of Sundays
Setting one more plate
Leaving half the TV turned down
Just in case you're late
I don't know if I'll ever
Get to hold you again
But I still love you, and I still miss you
More than I can say with this pen
Baby, you're my always
Even if I never see you again
[Verse 3]
I drive past the park where you learned to swing
Hear that high laugh on the autumn wind
Every little girl with her daddy's hand
Feels like a picture of the life we planned
[Pre-Chorus]
I talk to the sky
Like you're out there listening
Tell you 'bout my day
How I'm still wishing
[Chorus]
It's been eleven years of birthdays
Whispered to the dark
Buying candles, never lighting
Just lining up the marks
I don't know if I'll ever
Get to hear you say my name
But I still love you, and I still miss you
Every mile, every tear, every day
Baby, you're my always
Even if you never feel the same
[Bridge]
If you ever wonder who you came from (who you came from)
If you ever feel like you don't belong
There's a man who kept your picture by his bed
Who never stopped praying you'd come home
[Chorus]
Through eleven years of heartache
One thing stayed true
I don't know your favorite color now
But I know I'd die for you
I don't know if I'll ever
Get to stand where you stand
But I still love you, and I still miss you
And I'll be right here if you can
Baby, you're my always
Even if I never see you again

country, Dusty modern country ballad with male vocals, gentle fingerpicked acoustic and soft brushed snare. First verse intimate and close-mic, pedal steel easing in on the pre-chorus. Big emotional lift on the chorus with warm piano and stacked harmonies. Second verse adds subtle organ bed; bridge strips back to vocal and guitar, then full band swells for the final chorus and a lingering steel outro.