[Verse 1] There’s a woman on the corner With her coat pulled to her chin She counts the change inside her pocket Then she counts it once again There’s a man beneath the marquee With his shoes worn at the seams He says he almost made it somewhere He says it like he still believes There’s a light on in the window There’s a child awake upstairs There’s a mother at the table With her fingers in her hair And I used to pass them quickly Like I had somewhere to be Now every face I look away from Turns around and looks at me [Chorus] I understand Why the heart gets tired Why the hands hold on When the house catches fire I understand Why you bend, why you break Why you swallow your pride For the choices you make I don’t have the answer I don’t have a plan But I see you standing there And I understand [Verse 2] There’s a girl behind the counter Working doubles in her shoes She smiles like it costs her nothing But it costs her more than you knew There’s a boy out by the station With his suitcase and his name He says he’s leaving for the city Like the city isn’t pain There’s a lover in the doorway Who can’t say goodbye or stay There’s a father on the telephone Who has nothing left to say And I used to call it weakness When somebody came undone Now I know the weight of living Isn’t carried just by one [Chorus] I understand Why the heart gets tired Why the hands hold on When the house catches fire I understand Why you bend, why you break Why you swallow your pride For the choices you make I don’t have the answer I don’t have a plan But I see you standing there And I understand [Bridge] I understand the rent is due I understand the lights went out I understand the pretty words That never helped when money ran out I understand the quiet shame Of needing more than you can ask I understand the smile you wear Like Sunday clothes and broken glass I understand the ones who leave I understand the ones who stay I understand the prayers you make When you don’t know how to pray And if the world looks down on you Like you chose the heavier land Take my voice, take my hand I understand [Final Chorus] I understand Why the heart gets tired Why the hands hold on When the house catches fire I understand Why you bend, why you break Why you swallow your pride For the choices you make I don’t have the answer I don’t have a plan But I see you standing there And I understand [Outro] I understand the leaving I understand the fall I understand the silence When nobody calls I understand the anger I understand the grace I understand the shadow On a tired face I don’t have the answer I don’t have a plan But I see you standing there And I understand
