From what I've heard, you played the music, And read the lessons that I shared. But did you listen to my heart, And recognize how much I cared? I put my heart into those songs, I put my love with pain I knew. But did you ever stop to wonder What it felt like from my view? You listened, but did you hear The love behind the pain? Did you see the years of giving, Or just the moments you could blame? Did you hear the heart that loved them, Through the laughter and the tears? You may have listened to my songs— But did you really hear? Three hours of conversation, But fifteen seconds made your case. You found one moment you could question, And gave the rest no equal place. What about the words surrounding? What about the love I'd shown? Can fifteen seconds tell the story Of a life you've never known? You listened, but did you hear The love behind the pain? Did you see the years of giving, Or just the moments you could blame? Did you hear the heart that loved them, Through the laughter and the tears? You may have listened to my songs— But did you really hear? I've tried to see things through their eyes, To understand what they went through. I've questioned things I once believed, And wondered what to them felt true. I've looked at love from both directions, And asked what I might not have seen. But have you ever stopped to wonder What those years were like for me? And if you haven't listened to the music, Don't claim to know what it means. If you didn't read the lessons, Can you judge what you haven't seen? And if you've heard the whole story, But only searched for what's wrong, You may have missed the love I carried Through the lessons and the songs. You don't have to share my experience, Or agree with every word. But understanding takes more courage Than just deciding what you've heard. There's a difference between listening For the things that prove you're right, And listening to understand Another person's side. If you listened, surely you heard The love in every song! The seventeen years of goodness That was there all along. Every song came back to loving them, No matter what I'd been through. Did you hear the love come pouring through, Or only what confirmed your view? I never asked you to agree, Or see things as I do. But if you're going to judge my story, At least consider my point of view. I can't control what you take from it, Or what you choose to see. But every song contains a part Of what those years meant to me. I've told my story honestly, And it's filled with love so clear. You may have listened to the music— But did you really hear?
