[Acoustic Americana, mid-tempo, reflective and bittersweet. Cleanly strummed Martin D-28 acoustic guitar, warm Precision bass playing supportive root notes, and a gentle drum kit with brushes on the snare and a steady shaker. A soaring pedal steel guitar provides emotive swells, layered with shimmering Fender Rhodes chords. The lead is a warm, sincere male baritone vocal.] [Verse 1] Late nights tracing titles and the boundaries of the land Contracts and agreements, every clause is in my hand I built a life of comfort, weighed the pros and balanced lines A windfall of successes in these structured, golden signs But I look across the table at the fortune I have made And I wonder if the sparkle in the ordinary fades [Chorus] Why oh why, do the ledgers feel so heavy tonight? Why oh why, did I trade the shadow for the light? It's a blessed and a treasured life, a beautiful design But I'm balancing the costs of what is hers and what is mine Why oh why [Verse 2] My daughter's turning fifteen, looking out into the dark Searching for the flint and steel to catch a brand new spark She wants to burn so brightly, wants to find her own way home While I am analyzing clauses underneath this quiet dome I want to guide the fire, keep her safe from every storm But a flame is meant for burning, not just keeping safely warm [Chorus] Why oh why, do the ledgers feel so heavy tonight? Why oh why, did I trade the shadow for the light? It's a blessed and a treasured life, a beautiful design But I'm balancing the costs of what is hers and what is mine Why oh why [Bridge] There is value in the safety, there is value in the peace But the wildness of youth is something law can't quite release I have handed her a castle built on titles and on trust Now I watch her look beyond it, at the horizon's golden dust [Guitar Solo - Melodic, soaring pedal steel guitar taking the lead over warm acoustic strumming] [Chorus] Why oh why, do the ledgers feel so heavy tonight? Why oh why, did I trade the shadow for the light? It's a blessed and a treasured life, a beautiful design But I'm balancing the costs of what is hers and what is mine Why oh why [Outro] Let the flame spark bright, my daughter Let the windfalls fall in line I'll be right here waiting At the closing of the time [Soft acoustic guitar fade out with a final, lingering Rhodes chord]
