[Intro — Solo Piano, Intimate and Exposed, No Vocals] [Instrumental — Soft piano melody, slow and rubato, 8 bars] [Verse 1] You were standing at the edge of my life Like a chapter I was too scared to write I was young and I was certain I knew better So I turned the page and lost you to the weather I remember how you looked at me that night Like I was something worth the fight But I was busy building walls I couldn't climb And I've been paying for it ever since that time [Pre-Chorus] I should have held you when I had the chance I should have told you what I felt inside But I was young and foolish and afraid And now I'm standing here with nothing but goodbye [Chorus] I keep thinking 'bout the man I let go The one who loved me more than I could know I keep wondering what my life would be If I had stayed and let you love me I keep thinking 'bout the man I let go And every night I'm learning how to grow But growing don't bring back the love I lost And loving you was worth the cost [Instrumental Interlude — No Vocals] [Lead Electric Guitar Solo — Crying, vocal-like tone, expressive string bends and long sustained notes, the guitar "sings" the regret the singer cannot voice, exposed over sparse piano and soft strings, no drums, 16 bars, no singing, humming, or vocalizations] [Verse 2] I heard you're doing well, I heard you're happy now I heard you found a love that showed you how To be the man you always were inside And I'm the one who taught you how to hide I saw you at a party last July You looked at me like I was just some guy You didn't know me, or maybe you just chose To forget the way I held you close [Pre-Chorus] I should have held you when I had the chance I should have told you what I felt inside But I was young and foolish and afraid And now I'm standing here with nothing but goodbye [Chorus] I keep thinking 'bout the man I let go The one who loved me more than I could know I keep wondering what my life would be If I had stayed and let you love me I keep thinking 'bout the man I let go And every night I'm learning how to grow But growing don't bring back the love I lost And loving you was worth the cost [Instrumental Interlude — No Vocals] [Lead Electric Guitar Solo — Crying, vocal-like tone, answering the chorus with its own melodic line, escalating bends and vibrato, then falling into quiet resignation, 12 bars, no vocals of any kind] [Bridge — Stripped, Piano and Voice Only, No Drums] They say that sorry comes too late That words can't change the hands of fate But if I had one more chance to say I'd tell you I still love you every day I'd tell you you were always worth the wait [Final Chorus — Full Arrangement, Soaring, Climactic] I keep thinking 'bout the man I let go The one who loved me more than I could know I keep wondering what my life would be If I had stayed and let you love me I keep thinking 'bout the man I let go And every night I'm learning how to grow But growing don't bring back the love I lost Growing don't bring back the love I lost And loving you was worth the cost Loving you was worth the cost [Outro — Soft Piano and Faint Guitar, Fading, No Vocals] [Instrumental — Piano returns with a quiet reprise of the intro melody, joined by a distant crying guitar line, slow fade to silence]
