Always here

​(Verse 1) Woke up to the sun. Kissed you goodbye and left, but something felt off. At the office, I felt my pockets—my phone was gone. Rushed back home to find you crying in the doorway. You wouldn’t look at me, wouldn't say a word. I tried to hold you, but you pulled away. "I'll be on the couch," I said. "When you're ready to talk, okay?" ​(Chorus) I'm right here in front of you. Why are you ignoring me? Tell me what I did, what did I do? What did I do wrong? I gotta know. Just say something, please, before I lose all control. ​(Verse 2) I wish I could fix this. You're staring right through me, like I don't even exist. I'm yelling, can you hear me? Your silence is a painful, deafening fear. I watch you pick up your phone, your hand trembling. I sit next to you, straining to hear the words they're saying. All I can make out is choked-out sobs. This mystery is killing me. ​(Chorus) I'm right here in front of you. Why are you ignoring me? Tell me what I did, what did I do? What did I do wrong? I gotta know. Just say something, please, before I lose all control. ​(Verse 3) Woke up in the morning, confused. The house is different—new paint, new pictures. Did I lose my mind? I walk into the living room and see another man, his hand intertwined in yours. I scream, "What is this?" They don't even flinch. "It's been months," he says, "since he's been gone." My heart stops. They're talking about me. I'm a ghost. ​(Chorus) I always gave you a kiss goodbye. Told you I love you, looked you in the eye. Even if I'd be back in an hour or two, a little sign of my love, just to get us through. ​(Verse 4) I watch you suffer, a silent torment I can't erase. The phone rings and you collapse, your whole body going limp. They tell you they found my car in a lake's dark water. I hit a deer, lost control. If I'd had my phone, they'd have found me way back then. ​(Chorus) I always gave you a kiss goodbye. Told you I love you, looked you in the eye. Even if I'd be back in an hour or two, a little sign of my love, just to get us through. ​(Verse 5) I watch you grow closer to the friend who was there for you. I see you fighting it, the way you touch your hair. "It's okay," I whisper, "don't f***t it. You deserve to move on." I see your smile again as a new day is born. The kids are grown now, so strong. It’s been three years since I was in the neighborhood. ​(Chorus) I always gave you a kiss goodbye. Told you I love you, looked you in the eye. Even if I'd be back in an hour or two, a little sign of my love, just to get us through. ​(Outro) I've watched it all for forty years—the happy moments and the silent tears. Now you're old, in a hospital bed, taking your final breath. You turn your head, look straight through the light, and see me. A ghost no more, you smile. Your spirit rises, young again. "I was here the whole time," I say, "with you every step."