Worth Sobriety

Swampy delta blues shuffle in a humid room, male vocals worn and raw, Slippery slide guitar, upright bass thump, and brushed snare lay a muddy groove, Harmonica cries between phrases; organ swells on the hook, Vocal starts close and confessional, then grows ragged and desperate by the final chorus, delta blues, male vocals

[Verse 1] Coffee gone cold Ash in the sink You said you’d be better You’d pour out the drink Baby clothes folded Stacked by the chair Your son saying “Daddy” You weren’t even there [Chorus] Why weren’t the babies and me worth sobriety Why wasn’t our little house holy enough You’d trade our pictures on the fridge For another poison cup Tell me In your midnight mind What beat a toddler’s cry for you Why weren’t the babies and me Worth getting sober for To tell the truth [Verse 2] We sat through the shakes Counted your breaths Marked little X’s Every day you kept Then payday hit hard Like a train off the track You came home smiling With the old thirst back [Chorus] [Bridge] I held your hand She held your thumb He learned to walk You came undone They learned your temper But not your laugh All that love on layaway You never bought it back [Chorus]

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