[Intro: fingerpicked guitar alone, then low cello drone enters] [Verse 1: low, close, plain, a little wry] They're standing round in their good black shoes Talking 'bout me like yesterday's news I'm right here by the coffee urn Nobody sees me, nobody turns Somebody says I was generous Somebody laughs at a joke I made Somebody checks the time on their phone Honest to God, I'd have done the same [Pre-Chorus: brushed snare enters, slow march] Funny how they say it now All the things they never said out loud [Chorus: steady, low, certain] From is to was That's what a life does The earth keeps turning Like a wheel that won't stop They'll feel what they can Then they'll heal and move on And I'm still in the room Going from is to was [Verse 2: pulls back, guitar and cello, tender] I watch them hold it at arm's length Feel a little, then pull away 'Cause if they let it all the way in They'd see a day that's waiting for them So they talk about the weather Talk about the long drive home And I don't blame a single one Every wound just wants to close [Pre-Chorus: brushed snare, slow march] Funny how they say it now All the things they never said out loud [Chorus: fuller, still low] From is to was That's what a life does The earth keeps turning Like a wheel that won't stop They'll feel what they can Then they'll heal and move on And I'm still in the room Going from is to was [Bridge: guitar and voice only, half-spoken, intimate, a slight smile] Funny thing, I spent my days Trying to build a life worth telling Every chance and every risk I took Was me writing my own was So don't you cry too long for me I finished what I came to do I'm not leaving, I'm just changing tense And someday so will you [Final Chorus: strongest moment, full but spare, voice low and at peace] From is to was That's what a life does The earth keeps turning Like a wheel that won't stop They'll feel what they can Then they'll heal and move on This isn't the end of me It's just is to was [Outro: cello drone fades, guitar alone, voice almost a whisper] Is to was [End] Lyrics © 2026 Paul Pfanner
