Call You First

[Verse 1]
You were there in the bleachers
Calling my name
Saved every crooked picture
Put it up in a frame
You held me through heartbreak
Laughed ‘til we cried
Every little lifetime
With you by my side
[Chorus]
Family over everything, you taught me that
From baby steps to broken hearts and back
When the world feels heavy, when I’m feeling small
You’re the one I lean on, you still catch it all
If I get good news or if it all hurts
I call you first
Yeah, Mama, I call you first
[Verse 2]
You’re folding the laundry
I’m stuck in my head
We’re miles apart but
You’re right there in my bed
Talking through the silence
On that crackling line
You say, “Baby, you got this”
And somehow I’m fine
[Chorus]
Family over everything, you showed me how
You’re the steady in my someday, my here and now
When the sky looks stormy and the road gets worse
You’re the one I run to, you still break the curse
If I’m lost and lonely or my heart bursts
I call you first
Yeah, Mama, I call you first (oh yeah)
[Bridge]
One day I’ll be the one
Holding a little hand tight
Telling them stories
Of your late-night advice
If they ask me what love
Really looks like in this world
I’ll say, “It sounds like Grandma
On the phone with her girl”
[Chorus]
Family over everything, you made it true
Every bit of brave in me came from you
When the years keep flying and it all blurs
You’re still my always, my comfort, my words
If I get one more breath on this green earth
I’ll call you first
Yeah, Mama, I’ll call you first

country, Warm modern country ballad with female vocals, gentle acoustic guitar picking and soft piano. Verses stay intimate and close-mic’d; brushes on snare and subtle pedal steel slide in on the chorus. Final chorus lifts with light harmonies and a simple tambourine, then ends on a stripped acoustic tag.