(Soft piano or guitar intro — mellow, reflective tone)Intro / Verse 0 — The Grief That Never Was
(Lead vocal, very gentle — almost spoken with faint reverb)
I mourn what I never held,
The love that should’ve reached for me and never did.
Empty arms where warmth should’ve been,
A cradle of silence where my heart learned to bend.
(BGs hum faintly — “Mmm, oh Lord…”)
I grew up chasing shadows of care,
Searching for a touch that was never there.Verse 1
(Lead soulful, slightly stronger tone)
Since before my first breath, love never came my way,
Even when my tears fell hard, they just turned away.
A heart so cold, aiming pain my way,
All because of where I came from, what I didn’t say.
(Ad-lib softly: “Didn’t say, didn’t say…”)Pre-Chorus
(Lead with slight lift)
I cried to the Lord, so often in vain,
Till the sound of my own song eased my pain.
(BGs add low harmony: “Ease my pain… ease my pain…”)Chorus
(Fuller sound — bring in harmonies)
I have to go, I have to live,
I have to love and protect me.
(BGs echo softly: “Protect me, yeah…”)
I’m tired of tears that lead nowhere,
Only used to do your dirty deeds.
(Ad-lib: “I’m done, I’m done, I’m done!”)
I lost you long before I found my peace,
But God never lied — He showed me the truth,
His love stays true every day.
(BGs lift: “God never lied… He showed me… every day…”)
So I have to go, I have to live, love, and protect me.
(Ad-lib: “Yeah… protect me, Lord…”)Verse 2
(Lead contemplative — back down in energy)
I sent my prayers like bottles to the sea,
Hoped love unknown would somehow drift to me.
I dreamed of that first kiss, a spark so true,
But I can’t keep bleeding for the ghost of you.
(Ad-lib softly: “No more bleeding… no more pain…”)Bridge
(Lead emotional — bring gospel tone here)
From afar I hold love, but I’m through,
No fondness remains, not even for you.
(BGs beneath: “No fondness, no more…”)
My soul’s reborn, no chain, no plea,
Just faith, and fire, and the will to be free.
(Ad-lib: “Set me free… free indeed!”)Final Chorus
(Lead opens strong, with full backing vocals and ad-libs)
I have to go, I have to live,
I have to love and protect me.
(BGs: “Protect me…”)
You broke my trust, but not my belief,
God never lied — He showed me the truth,
His love stays true every day.
(BGs soar: “He showed me… the truth…”)
So I have to go, I have to live, love, and protect me.
(Final ad-libs: “I’m gonna live… I’m gonna love… I’m gonna protect me!”)(End on soft hums and held note — fading with “God never lied…” echoing last)
