⸻ Verse 1 Row three, seat seven, that’s where I sat Watching you doodle on your notebook While I calculated my perfect grade point average You failed math but you had that laugh That echoed through the chemistry lab Three years of careful observation From my strategic academic position “Good morning” once in sophomore year “Excuse me” when you dropped your pen And “See you later” – but we never did again ⸻ Pre-Chorus Same cram school, different worlds colliding Same university entrance exam I had my future all decided You had your dreams, I had my plan ⸻ Chorus Three words in three years, that’s all we ever shared But I memorized the way you tied your hair Now twenty-five years later, do you even care That the smart kid loved you from afar? Three words, three years, one broken heart ⸻ Verse 2 April acceptance letters, mine came through University-bound with my five-year plan Yours never arrived, but I heard the news Through the gossip chain of teenage romance “She’s trying again next year,” they said Freshman orientation, scanning every face Looking for the girl who got away Enrollment lists posted on the board I checked them twice, then three times more Your name was absent from my ivory tower ⸻ Pre-Chorus Different paths, the same old story I got the grades, you got the glory Of living life without a script While I stayed safe and never slipped ⸻ Chorus Three words in three years, that’s all we ever shared But I still wonder if you ever cared Now twenty-five years later, are you out there somewhere Living the life I never dared? Three words, three years, and you disappeared ⸻ Bridge You know what’s brilliant about being the clever one? You get to analyze everything to death While life actually happens to other people I calculated the probability of our success But forgot to factor in the possibility That success isn’t always about getting in Sometimes it’s about having the courage To say four words instead of three ⸻ Final Chorus Three words in three years, but I had so much more to say Like “Would you maybe want to grab some coffee after class today?” Now twenty-five years later, I still wonder every day What if the smart kid learned to be brave? ⸻ Outro Three words, three years Some stories disappear But we’re all still here Singing about our fears ⸻
