First Time I Held You

[Verse 1]
I used to chase every weekend
Half-packed bags by the door
Thought growing up meant going further
Never staying for the quiet anymore
Then the nurse said your name for the first time
Tiny fingers found my thumb
In a heartbeat the map got rewritten
Every road now leads back home
[Chorus]
The first time I held you
The whole world got small
Just your breath on my shoulder
Nothing else at all
I thought I knew love
Till you opened your eyes
Now I’m learning how to be
The man behind your sky
The first time I held you
I finally understood why
[Verse 2]
I see my dad in the mirror
Same tired lines ’round the eyes
I used to swear I’d be different
Now I’m hoping I get half of his tries
There’s a crib where my desk used to stand
Bills piled up on the chair
But I’d trade every late night worry
For one more hour just rocking you there
[Chorus]
The first time I held you
The whole world got small
Just your breath on my shoulder
Nothing else at all
I thought I knew love
Till you opened your eyes
Now I’m learning how to be
The man behind your sky
The first time I held you
I finally understood why
[Bridge]
One day you’ll ask me
“Were you ever scared?”
I’ll say
“Every single minute
But I stayed
’cause you were there” (yeah)
Every fear I’ve ever carried
Melted in that hospital light
When you wrapped your hand around my finger
And wouldn’t let me hide
[Chorus]
The first time I held you
The whole world got small
Just your breath on my shoulder
Nothing else at all
I thought I knew love
Till you opened your eyes
Now my heart lives outside me
Wrapped in your tiny sighs
The first time I held you
Was the best day of my life

rock, Soft rock ballad with male vocals, gentle piano and fingerpicked electric guitar in the verses, warm bass and brushed drums blooming in the chorus. Subtle organ pad under the hook, intimate vocal upfront with light doubles on the title line. Energy swells on each chorus, then pulls back to almost a whisper for the bridge before one final, tender chorus., soft rock