[Intro: acoustic guitar only, sparse fingerpicking, natural string and fret noise] [Verse 1: deep gravelly male baritone, very close and restrained, almost conversational, acoustic guitar only] I used to need a reason For every bad thing that went wrong Needed somebody I could blame Needed somewhere to belong I thought getting older meant I'd finally understand Why some people stay beside you And some just let go of your hand I got pretty good at acting Like I knew which way to go But if you want the truth tonight I don't know [Verse 2: same exposed voice and guitar, weathered rasp growing slightly, no added instruments] I've asked questions in an empty room And waited for something back I've tried to find some meaning In everything I thought I lacked I've watched good people suffer I've watched bad ones get their way I've wondered if somebody's listening When I don't know what to say Maybe there's an answer Maybe I'm not meant to know That's getting easier to live with As I get old [Chorus: vocal opens slightly with aching gravel, stronger acoustic attack, still restrained, save full vocal power for later] I don't know why we're here I don't know where we go I don't know why love finds us Then sometimes lets us go I don't know who's been listening All those nights I talked alone I spent half my life demanding answers Now I don't have to know [Verse 3: pull completely back, intimate low vocal, sparse fingerpicking, acoustic guitar only] I've made peace with some old memories Still got a few I haven't yet There are names I don't say anymore And things I can't forget I've said sorry when I meant it Stayed quiet when I should've spoke Held on longer than I should have And walked away when I still had hope If there's a book that tells you How you're supposed to do this right Mine must've gone missing A long damn time ago [Chorus: stronger weathered vocal with more chest and rasp, harder acoustic strumming, emotional but deliberately below full power] I don't know why we're here I don't know where we go I don't know why love finds us Then sometimes lets us go I don't know who's been listening All those nights I talked alone I spent half my life demanding answers Now I don't have to know [Bridge: guitar falls to sparse ringing chords, vocal completely exposed and vulnerable, gradually rising but never reaching the full belt] Maybe faith ain't being certain Maybe it ain't certainty at all Maybe it's getting up tomorrow Without knowing where you'll fall Maybe all we're really given Is whoever's here today A little time to love them Before time gets its way [Final Chorus: begin restrained and exposed, slowly increase intensity through voice and acoustic guitar only, continue holding back the full vocal power] I don't know why we're here I don't know where we go I don't know what comes after When it's finally time to go [Emotional peak: vocal suddenly opens completely, huge raw full chest belt, heavy gravel, aching rasp and natural cracks, singer finally stops holding back, acoustic guitar attacked hard, no additional instruments] But I know I've loved some people And I know they've loved me too Maybe that's enough of an answer To get me through [Hold "through" in a long powerful aching belt, full chest resonance with natural rasp and cracking, then abruptly release into silence] [Outro: brief pause, then extremely soft fingerpicked acoustic returns, exhausted near whispered vocal] I used to need a reason For everything I couldn't know These days when somebody asks me I just say I don't know [End: final acoustic chord rings naturally into silence]
