Born Before the Legend

[Verse 1 – intimate, restrained] I found your blue sweater today, The one with the button gone. Don’t know why I still keep it, You ain’t fit that thing since you were nine. You hated peas, loved that beat-up bike, Came through the kitchen bleeding from your knee one night. I said, “Boy, slow down, you’re gonna break your neck.” You rolled your eyes— I can still see you doing that. Your teacher called me once, Said you hit some boy at school. I made you apologize, Took your games for a week or two. You thought your whole life was over. God… I wish that was the worst call I ever got about you. [Pre-Chorus – melody begins to rise] People ask me when I knew, I don’t know, I really don’t. There wasn’t some big moment, You just started coming home less. Then one day… You didn’t come home at all. [Hook] Before they knew your name, I knew your name. Before they knew your face, I knew your face. Before the whole world knew what you’d become, I knew you small… I knew you small. [Chorus] I knew you before all this, Before your name meant something else. Before strangers said it like a warning, Before I heard it on the television. They can tell me what you’ve done, I won’t tell them they’re wrong. I just wish they knew— [vocal run: knew-ooh-ooh] I remember you small. [Verse 2] Your room’s pretty much the same, Your old jacket’s on the chair. Your trophies gathered dust, I finally moved them downstairs. Your father said I should clear it out. Maybe he’s right. I just haven’t. There’s a photograph inside my drawer, You couldn’t have been more than five. Missing one of your front teeth, Cake all over your shirt, Holding up both hands ‘cause you couldn’t remember how old you were. I looked at it last night while they showed your face again. Same eyes. That’s the part that gets me. Same damn eyes. [Hook – softer] Before they knew your name, I knew your name. Before they knew your face, I knew your face. [Chorus – fuller] ‘Cause I knew you before all this, Before your name meant something else. Before strangers said it like a warning, Before I heard it on the television. And I know what you’ve become, Don’t think I don’t. A mother can know the truth and still remember— [vocal run: remem-ber-er-er] her little boy. [Bridge – stripped back, sung with restrained emotion] Maybe I worked too much, Maybe I should’ve asked more questions, Maybe I asked too many. Your father tells me, “Stop doing this to yourself.” Easy for him to say. I keep wondering if there was some ordinary morning I could’ve said something different, And you’d be somewhere else right now. Then I get angry for even thinking that. ’Cause you chose things too. You did. You chose. [brief silence] [Hook – exposed vocal] Before they feared your name, I gave you that name. [short vocal run] Before they knew your face, I kissed that face. [Final Chorus – gradual harmonies] Still, I knew you before all this, Before the cameras found your face. Before they printed what you did beside the name that I gave you. I won’t ask the world to love you, I won’t ask them to forget. I only wish I could remember you— [vocal run: you-ooh-ooh] without remembering what came next. [Hook Reprise – layered backing vocals] Before they knew your name, (Your name…) I knew your name. Before they knew your face, (Your face…) I knew your face. Before the whole world knew what you’d become… I knew you small. [soft descending vocal run] I knew you small… [Outro – sparse, fully sung] They call you a monster, Some call you a legend. Maybe both are true. But before any of them knew your name, I was writing it on your first birthday cake.