The Painter [Verse 1] You come with your brushes and colors, You know how to make something shine, You take what the weather has worn down And give it a beautiful life. You stand back and look at the surface, You know when the finish is right, But I've been looking past the color, Trying to see what's inside. [Pre-Chorus] Maybe you're a painter, Maybe that's all you need to be, There's nothing wrong with knowing What you're willing to give to me. [Chorus] But I'm not asking for a pretty picture, I'm not asking you to paint my sky, I don't need another coat of promises To make everything look right. If you're not a builder, tell me honestly, Don't leave me guessing what we're making here, 'Cause I can lay the foundation, But I can't build alone, my dear. [Verse 2] You know where to cover the cracks up, You know where the old paint shows through, You can make a tired house beautiful With the things that you know how to do. And maybe that's your way of loving, Giving beauty where beauty has gone, But a house needs more than a color When the storm keeps coming on. [Pre-Chorus] Maybe you're a painter, Maybe you'll never want to be more, I won't ask you to become somebody Just to keep me at your door. [Chorus] But I'm not asking for a pretty picture, I'm not asking you to paint my sky, I don't need another coat of promises To make everything look right. If you're not a builder, tell me honestly, Don't leave me guessing what we're making here, 'Cause I can lay the foundation, But I can't build alone, my dear. [Bridge] So tell me before I bring the timber, Before I put my heart in the walls, Are you here to help me build a home, Or just to make the outside beautiful? I can live with an unfinished room, I can live with a little weather and rain, I can live with knowing what you can't give— I just can't build for two in vain. [Final Chorus] You're still the painter, And maybe that's who you are, You can turn the worn-out places Into something beautiful from afar. But I don't need you to paint me, And I don't need you to pretend, I just need the truth between us Before I start again. [Outro] So put down your brushes, Painter, Come stand beside me for a while. Tell me what you're really building— And I'll tell you if it's worth my time. 'Cause I can build with you... But I can't build alone.
