[Verse 1] You show up with a borrowed smile Once every twelve months, stay a little while You know my birthday, not my fears You bring a gift and disappear I learned your face from photographs Learned not to ask how long you'd last You call yourself my father then Why do you leave before it begins? [Pre-Chorus] Don’t say my name like you earned it Don’t reach for me like you deserve it [Chorus] I never had a dad, I had a yearly ghost A man who knew my blood but never knew me close You get one afternoon, then vanish through the door You’re my father on paper—nothing more Nothing more! [Verse 2] Mom kept your number by the sink I watched it ring and watched her think You asked if school was going fine I said, “It is,” and swallowed mine You bring stories I never lived Talk about all the love you give But love is staying when the fever burns Love is knowing every bridge I’ve crossed and every lesson learned [Rap] One visit, one picture, one hand on my shoulder Same clean excuses getting thinner as I’m older You say, “I was young,” like that changes the years Like a sentence can dissolve all the birthdays and tears I’m not your little secret, not a debt you can pay Not a name in your contacts that you check once a day You wanted the title, never carried the weight Now I’m standing in the doorway while you’re running late [Chorus] I never had a dad, I had a yearly ghost A man who knew my blood but never knew me close You get one afternoon, then vanish through the door You’re my father on paper—nothing more Nothing more! [Bridge] I used to wait beside the window Counting headlights in the rain Now I don’t need you to come back I can carry my own name [Breakdown] You missed the first step! You missed the first fight! You missed the nights I held myself tight! Don’t call it love! Don’t call it fate! You chose the distance—now live with the space! [Final Chorus] I never had a dad, I had a yearly ghost A man who knew my blood but never knew me close You get one afternoon, but I won’t beg for more You’re my father on paper—nothing more I built myself from every door you closed I found my voice in the silence you chose You can visit once a year, but hear me when I roar: You’re my father on paper—nothing more! [Outro] Nothing more. I’m still here. Nothing more.
