[Verse 1]
Everybody thought I was defending you,
Thought I’d bought every excuse you ever threw.
Truth is, buddy, here’s the honest part…
I was negotiating with my own heart.
Every time I bit my tongue in two,
It wasn’t out of love for you.
I just pictured one little set of eyes,
And swallowed one more compromise.
[Pre-Chorus]
You thought you were getting loyalty.
Nah… you were borrowing it.
[Chorus]
I wasn’t doing it for you.
No, you didn’t win that prize.
I was building bridges for a little boy
Who never got to choose our lives.
I’d answer calls I’d rather miss,
Smile through things that made me sick.
You thought I was standing by your side…
I was standing by his.
[Verse 2]
Truth is, I had quite a list
Of reasons I could’ve just called it quits.
I figured maybe take some time,
Learn accountability, it’d do you fine.
Maybe don’t go breaking somebody new
Until you figure out what you’re gonna do.
Call me crazy, call me wrong,
But healing first would’ve been pretty strong.
[Pre-Chorus]
Instead I kept the peace,
And buddy… that wasn’t cheap.
[Chorus]
I wasn’t doing it for you.
No, don’t rewrite history.
I was trying to give a little boy
A family, however briefly.
Every ounce of grace I gave,
Every breath I chose to save…
You thought that was your second chance.
It never was.
[Bridge]
Congratulations.
You mistook my patience for forgiveness.
Easy mistake…
From that side of the conversation.
[Final Chorus]
I wasn’t doing it for you.
Let’s finally make that clear.
You just happened to be standing there
Beside the reason I stayed near.
If there’d never been that little heartbeat,
I’d have walked without a sound.
The only reason I stood beside you…
Was someone who isn’t here now.
And when he left…
So did every reason to keep pretending.
