[Intro] [Verse 1] You're sleeping with your back to me Glasses folded by the bed One hand underneath your pillow One pulled close against your chest I can hear you breathing softly I should probably close my eyes But a thought came out of nowhere And I can't shake it tonight We've been given all these good years And God, I hope there's plenty more But if we get the life we're hoping for One of us still goes before [Chorus] If one of us has to stay When the other gets called away If somebody has to wake up With an empty side of the bed Let it be me who misses you Let me carry that kind of pain I couldn't bear you reaching for me And finding nothing there someday [Verse 2] I don't want you making coffee Then remembering it's just one I don't want you hearing something funny With nobody there to tell I don't want you coming home at night To a house that doesn't sound the same Or turning when you hear the front door Thinking I just walked in again I don't want you learning how to sleep Without my arm around your side If there's a choice in who gets left here I know which one I want tonight [Chorus] If one of us has to stay When the other gets called away If somebody has to wake up With an empty side of the bed Let it be me who misses you Let me carry that kind of pain I couldn't bear you reaching for me And finding nothing there someday [Bridge] So give me every year she'll give me Let me wear this old heart down Let me hold her through a lifetime Till we're both old and slowing down And if heaven needs one first God, I'm asking while I can Don't make her learn to live without me Let me be the one who has to understand Let me walk through all that silence Let me learn to sleep alone Let me be the one who breaks down When everybody else goes home She has given me a lifetime I could never quite repay So if one of us must lose the other Let me be the one who stays [Final Chorus] If one of us has to stay When the other gets called away If somebody has to wake up And reach across that empty space Let it be me who misses you Let me carry every ache Let it be me who says goodbye So you never have to watch me fade Give me every lonely morning Every night I call your name I'd rather live one day without you Than leave you here to do the same So if somebody has to lose The best thing they were ever given LET ME MISS HER... [Outro] But tonight you're sleeping next to me Your hand still resting in mine So maybe I don't need tomorrow Maybe this is enough tonight I pull you just a little closer Kiss your hair and let you sleep And thank God for one more night You're here with me
