(Verse 1)** I used to own every room I was in With a sideways joke and a crooked grin I could disarm trouble with a laugh Cut the tension right in half My finest trick, my saving grace Was putting a smile on my mother's face Her laughter was the sweetest sound On this unforgiving ground I wore my joy just like a shield The brightest thing out on the field **(Verse 2)** The phone call came on a Tuesday bright Stole the color, stole the light A world of shock, a silent scream The ending of a waking dream And while my heart was learning how to break For goodness and for pity's sake Seven days, a second wave Put my father in his grave Two pillars fell, two anchors gone And left me in a silent dawn **(Chorus)** **(The music swells gently. A soft piano melody doubles the guitar, and subtle strings lift the background. The tone is heartbreakingly beautiful.)** And I'm not just sad my world is gone I'm sad I'm lost inside the dawn Where everything feels gray and heavy And the old light just won't steady I try to find the man I used to be Beneath the wreckage and debris But that happy stranger's out of money And God, I'm sad I lost the funny **(Verse 3)** My friends all try, they walk on glass They wait for this heavy mood to pass They tell a story, watch my face Hoping I'll fall back into place I see a joke up in the air But I can't reach it from this chair My mind constructs the perfect line But it's not mine, it's no longer mine The punchline dies behind my eyes A ghost of unmade, quick replies **(Chorus)** **(The music builds a little more, the emotion more raw and present in the voice.)** And I'm not just sad my world is gone I'm sad I'm lost inside the dawn Where everything feels gray and heavy And the old light just won't steady I try to find the man I used to be Beneath the wreckage and debris But that happy stranger's out of money And God, I'm sad I lost the funny **(Bridge)** **(The music pulls back to just the acoustic guitar and a single cello line. The vocals are intimate, almost a whisper.)** And this is a love song, I suppose For the man I was, that nobody knows Anymore... especially me Who I was when I was free And Mom, your laugh was my true north And without it, I've forgotten my own worth Dad, your quiet smile was my reward Now it's a snapped and useless chord **(Instrumental)** **(A beautiful, brief instrumental section. The cello takes the lead, playing a soulful, aching melody, with the piano and guitar providing a gentle, supportive harmony.)** **(Outro)** **(The music fades back to the simple, fingerpicked acoustic guitar from the beginning. The vocals are quiet, resigned.)** I look in the mirror, search for a sign Of that clever, smiling friend of mine But all I see is a quiet man With a face that doesn't have a plan Just his parents' empty eyes Reflecting empty, waiting skies... And I'm sad I lost the funny... So sad I lost the funny. )**
