**[Verse 1]** There was a bottle on the counter by the microwave clock Same spot every night, like it never would walk I was young, didn’t know what the amber meant Just knew mama’s laugh changed when the cap got bent TV light flicker on the peeling paint walls I’d hear ice hit the glass like a code in the halls She’d say, “Baby, I’m fine,” but her smile was thin Like she practiced in the mirror how to tuck pain in Bills folded under magnets on the fridge door Past due in red ink we just ignored I learned early how to read a room By the way she poured heavy when the rent came soon Never violent, never loud Just a quiet kinda storm in a working-class crowd She carried the weight like a winter coat And that whiskey just helped her keep afloat **[Hook]** Mama’s whiskey in a chipped glass cup Little me wishing I could fill it back up Not with liquor, but with peace and some rest Take the ache out her chest, let her finally exhale Mama’s whiskey, yeah, it smelled like oak Like secrets in the air every time she spoke Now I’m grown and I know what it meant It was cheaper than therapy and twice as bent **[Verse 2]** I remember one night she was staring at the sink Water running too long, lost in her think I said, “You okay?” she said, “Yeah, just tired” But her eyes said something different, something wired Working doubles just to keep us in place Smiling at customers with a stiff kinda grace Came home, kicked shoes off by the door Poured courage in a bottle she could afford I used to judge it when I hit my teens Swore I’d never need a crutch or a scene But trauma don’t vanish ‘cause you make a vow It just waits in the dark and grows somehow Now I see her hands when I hold my own Same nervous shake when I’m alone And I get why she’d sip slow after midnight Trying to soften the edges of a long fight **[Hook]** Mama’s whiskey in a chipped glass cup Little me wishing I could fill it back up Not with liquor, but with peace and some rest Take the ache out her chest, let her finally exhale Mama’s whiskey, yeah, it burned going down Like the weight of the world in a small-town gown Now I’m grown and I see it clear She was fighting her demons, not disappearing **[Bridge – Soft, Spoken]** I used to think it was weakness Now I know it was survival Used to think she was distant Now I know she was tired **[Verse 3]** If I could go back to that kitchen light I’d hug her harder on those long nights Tell her, “You did good, even when it was rough Even when the bottle felt like enough” We’re both just people, flawed and scared Trying to act like we’re prepared For a world that don’t slow down or care Sometimes coping just means you’re aware So here’s to healing what we can Breaking cycles with steadier hands And if I ever pour one when it’s heavy and risky I’ll toast to her strength — not the whiskey. [Outro] That bottle’s gone, but the lessons stay Love ain’t perfect, but it finds a way.

Empty Glass Kitchen