[Verse 1: near a cappella, extremely close raspy vocal, one acoustic guitar barely audible, slow single chord strums with long silence, no other instruments] I'd gotten pretty good at being alone Better than giving somebody one more chance I knew what I wouldn't live with anymore Just didn't know what I was looking for yet Then a coffee shop closed before we got there So we found a diner down the street Three hours disappeared over cold nachos Funny where the best things start sometimes [Pre-Chorus: vocal grows more emotional, guitar stays equally quiet and sparse, no added instruments, no build] I walked you out and asked if I could kiss you You smiled and said, "Absolutely" And something I was sure had gone for good Came back to life in me [Chorus: powerful raw chest voice, aching rasp and natural cracks, guitar remains barely audible with the same sparse chord strikes, absolutely no drums, bass, harmonies or additional instruments] I used to think that love was something You just learned how to survive Holding your breath and hoping You'd make it through another night Then you came along so easy Never asking me to bleed I spent half my life bracing for love You taught me it feels like peace [Verse 2: drop vocal back to intimate conversational delivery, guitar unchanged and extremely low, long spaces between chords, no other instruments] We didn't tell a soul for half a year Just took our time and learned each other first Found out friendship made a pretty good foundation When you've both already learned what doesn't work A year later I was standing there waiting On a perfect October afternoon Then I saw you walking down that aisle toward me And cried while grinning like a damn fool [Pre-Chorus: voice begins to strain with emotion, guitar stays distant and unchanged, no instrumental lift] I couldn't tell you what the flowers looked like Or half the words they said I just remember looking at my best friend Thinking, "How'd I get this?" [Chorus: raw powerful chest voice, sustained emotional phrases with cracks, same nearly silent acoustic underneath, no arrangement change] I used to think that love was something You just learned how to survive Holding your breath and hoping You'd make it through another night Then you came along so easy Never asking me to bleed I spent half my life bracing for love You taught me it feels like peace [Verse 3: warm conversational vocal, almost smiling through certain lines, one acoustic guitar still barely keeping time, no added instrumentation] Now I leave you little notes inside your purse Still hit on you like we just met last week You roll your eyes and call me an idiot Then turn around and put your hand on me We can make a Friday night of buying groceries Laugh until we're crying in aisle three And somehow all the ordinary little things Are the things that mean the most to me [Bridge: exposed vocal becomes increasingly emotional through delivery only, guitar stays extremely quiet and sparse, no musical build, no additional instruments] We don't always say it the same way I'm the fool who has to say it all You're a look across the kitchen A hand resting on my shoulder A little something you saw and thought I'd want And after all these years I finally understand Love ain't measured by how hard you hold on It's knowing when you lay your head down every night There's nothing here you have to guard yourself from [Final Chorus: strongest vocal performance of song, raw chest resonance, aching rasp, voice cracking naturally, intensity entirely from singer, acoustic remains distant and unchanged, no drums, bass, harmonies or instrumental build] I used to think that love was something You just learned how to survive Now I know it's kissing you goodnight Even when we've had a harder night It's talking till we understand it Never trying to make the other bleed It's knowing I can give you all of me And you'll take care of what you see [Outro: everything falls nearly silent, vocal extremely close and vulnerable, acoustic reduced to occasional barely audible chord strikes with long silence] So if somebody asks me someday What real love's supposed to be I'll tell 'em I spent years holding my breath [long silence] Then I met you [long silence, nearly a cappella] And I could finally breathe
