Back To The Way We Were

[Verse 1]
Woke up loud in my chest
Your name stuck in my teeth
Almost dialed
Almost said it
Then I choked on what we used to be
Coffee’s cold
Same old kitchen
Two cups
Only one gets filled
Every joke still has your shadow
Every song hits where it killed
[Pre-Chorus]
I still rehearse that three-word line
Like it could rewind our lives
[Chorus]
I wanna go back to the way we were
Before we burned down every word
When "I love you" didn’t shake like this
Didn’t taste like ashes on my lips
I wanna go back
But the past won’t turn
We’re standing in the crash
Watching embers stir
I woke up with love and an empty room
And nowhere left to put it but you
[Verse 2]
All our plans on crumpled paper
Stuffed inside my dresser drawer
You said “always
” I said “promise”
Guess we never checked the score
Your hoodie still hangs on my chair
Arm around me like a ghost
I talk tough when I’m with friends
But here I break where it hurts most
[Pre-Chorus]
I pace the floor
I pick that scab
Every memory fights back
[Chorus]
I wanna go back to the way we were
Before we learned new ways to hurt
When your hand fit easy into mine
And the worst thing was losing track of time
I wanna go back
But the past won’t turn
We’re stuck in the smoke
Breathing every word
I woke up with love and this aching truth
I don’t know how to hold it without you
[Bridge]
[Drums drop to toms
Vocal cracks
Guitars simmer]
Did we grow up or just grow apart?
Did we kill it or call it art?
If I said it now
Would it rip you in two
Or stitch one broken thing back through? (yeah)
[Chorus]
I wanna go back to the way we were
Before the blame
Before the slurs
When “forever” didn’t sound like a dare
And home was just you
Just us
Right there
I wanna go back
But the past won’t turn
So I scream your name ‘til my throat burns
I woke up with love I can’t undo
And every beat still falls on you (on you)

rock, Alt-rock / emo-punk hybrid, male vocals. Clean picked guitars in the verse under a gritty, mid-tempo groove; pre-chorus adds palm-muted build and climbing bass. Chorus slams in with overdriven wall-of-guitars, tight drums, gang shouts on key lines. Bridge drops to half-time with screamed backing, then final chorus up a notch, riding crash cymbals and octave leads., punk, metal, alternative rock