[Intro] (distant guitar, large empty room, 4 bars) [Verse 1 - Male Spoken Word] I sat down to write you a love song. I had the paper. I had the pen my mother gave me for a graduation I barely attended. I was going to say something about the afternoon we — [Verse 2 - Male Spoken Word] (drums enter, tempo pressure builds) and then I heard about the money. And then I heard about the pastor. And then I heard what they said to you in the parking lot with their engines running. And my hand went sideways and this came out instead. [Chorus - Male, Half-Sung] (hard cut, full band immediate) I meant to write you something kinder. I meant to write you something kinder than this. [Verse 3 - Male Spoken Word] (band drops to bass and hi-hat) They came in through the side door with the good news folded up in a coat pocket and they used it like a coupon. Turned the one free thing there ever was into a permit. Into a laminated card. Into a reason. [Chorus - Male, Shouted] I meant to write you something kinder. I meant to write you something kinder than this. [Outro - Male Spoken] (everything falls away except one guitar) And what I wanted to tell you — what I actually sat down to say — was that you are — [End] (abrupt cut, no decay, no fade)
