Tender as Nails

(Verse 1) I don’t hold you like a secret I hold you like a frame The kind of care that understands Some things survive the strain I don’t promise you it’s gentle I promise it is real I stay when it is difficult That’s how I feel (Pre-Chorus) Everyone wants softness Everyone wants grace But nothing ever stays together Without some kind of ache (Chorus) I love you tender as nails Quiet and precise Driven through the moments Where it doesn’t feel nice I don’t bruise you for pleasure I don’t wound to prove But I know what it takes to hold something true (Verse 2) They romanticise the surface They don’t see what’s underneath The way the pressure makes a home The way it learns to breathe There’s healing in the holding There’s pain in being placed But nothing beautiful was built Without being braced (Pre-Chorus) I won’t lie and say it’s easy I won’t dress it up in lace Love is not just touch and warmth It’s staying in your place (Chorus) I love you tender as nails Steady, not loud I don’t promise comfort I promise now I won’t splinter under pressure I won’t loosen when it’s hard I am not soft in my devotion I am sure (Bridge) If you need something fragile Something that bends away I am not the kind of woman You can keep that way But if you want something lasting Something that withstands I will hold you through the weather With both hands **Final Chorus** I love you tender as nails Set deep and aligned Careful where it matters Unmoved by time There is mercy in my firmness There is warmth in my resolve I don’t hold you just to hold you I hold **Outro** Tender is not weak And strong is not unkind Some things are held together By design