By the Way Verse 1 You pull your jacket on too fast Keys already in your hand Halfway down the hallway Asking if I’m coming back I say “yeah” like I mean it Like I’m not out of time Every word feels borrowed Every joke a thin disguise Chorus By the way I love you [Instrumental Break – short, tight] Post-Chorus / Verse Should’ve said it hours ago Before the night got loud Swallowed every honest word Till it burned me inside out If it hits you like a punch It’s been stuck here way too long Every time I almost said it I just sang a different song Chorus By the way I love you Verse 2 You stare out at the window City running red and green I’m counting all the seconds I keep losing in between I almost say it at the light Then it changes, so do I Always finding perfect moments Just a half-step too late in time Chorus By the way I love you [Instrumental Break – build, no vocals] Bridge You turn and say, “What?” And I freeze All the practiced lines collapse in me No clever words No exit plan Just the truth shaking in my hands Final Chorus By the way I love you [Guitar Solo – melodic, emotional] Outro It’s not clean It’s not right It’s the only thing I didn’t hide If it lands wrong, lands too late That’s the risk I couldn’t shake By the way I love you Yeah—by the way I love you
