The Long Way Back to You

Verse 1 Your house was too quiet, even for a Sunday Big rooms, cold light, pictures that never stay Your mom’s car humming like it didn’t know me I sat on the edge of your bed, said nothing anyway At school I was loud, I was easy, I was everybody’s friend But with you I kept my voice like it might break if I let it bend Pre-Chorus We were a secret that everybody guessed Like smoke in the hallway, like something we never said Chorus We were normal people, trying not to need Hiding our hearts in plain sight, scared they’d bleed I loved you quiet, you loved me brave We kept picking the long way, the long way back The long way back to each other again Verse 2 You read me lines I pretended I already knew I joked about nothing just to stay in the room My friends talked futures, I talked like I didn’t care But I counted your footsteps every time you weren’t there In your kitchen, your eyes said more than your mouth I went home feeling rich, still scared of going broke inside Pre-Chorus I said I was fine, you said okay Two liars standing in the doorway Chorus We were normal people, trying not to need Hiding our hearts in plain sight, scared they’d bleed I loved you quiet, you loved me brave We kept picking the long way, the long way back The long way back to each other again Verse 3 Dublin felt bigger than both of our names You learned to belong, I learned to stay strange You walked into rooms like you owned the air I sat with my hands, didn’t know what to do with them there We crossed like strangers in borrowed light Said “how’ve you been?” like it wasn’t a f***t Chorus We were normal people, dressed up in doubt Learning how to leave, not learning how to talk it out I loved you quiet, you loved me brave We kept picking the long way, the long way back The long way back to each other again Bridge I thought love was a thing you hold like a job Show up on time, don’t ask for too much You thought love was a room you had to survive Where you stay too long just to feel alive Maybe we were both right, maybe both wrong Maybe we just kept the radio on too long [Instrumental] Verse 4 I saw you last winter, you looked almost okay You said “I’m getting better,” I didn’t know what to say Your hands were still shaking, mine were too Funny how time never quite tells the truth We stood in the cold like we always do Close enough to leave, too far to move Chorus We’re just normal people, trying to believe There’s a version of us that finally breathes I still love you quiet, you still love me brave We’re still taking the long way, the long way back The long way back, if there is a back Outro If you ever need me, you know where I’ll be In that small, quiet place between what was and what could be We’re just normal people, that’s the truth Still finding our way to and from each other Still taking the long way back to you