Never Know
Unanswered Whispers: A Father's Reflection
Lyrics
Sometimes when I'm lying here giving these tired eyes a rest
Sometimes, during moments of rest, the singer reflects.
I find myself drifting off somewhere to a place that's just like this
The singer envisions a familiar place with a significant person.
Except you are there, sitting in a chair
In the imagined scene, the person is present, watching TV.
Watching cartoons on TV
Details the setting of the imagined scene.
And in this scene I ain't ever dreamed if you're a boy or you're a girl
The uncertainty of the person's gender, emphasizing their importance.
The only thing that I can tell for sure is that you are my whole world
Despite uncertainty, the person is portrayed as the singer's world.
But then I wake up, and my body's stuck
Reality sets in, and the dream fades.
And it seemed so real to me
The vividness of the dream lingers in the singer's mind.
We never had the chance to meet, I couldn't look you in the eye
Expresses regret for not having the chance to meet the imagined person.
And tell you all the useful things that I'd picked up in my life
Reflects on missed opportunities to share life wisdom.
And days look so much different now than they did that long ago
Contrasts past and present, acknowledging changes over time.
But I guess that's just the way it sometimes goes
Acceptance of life's unpredictability.
And that's just another thing you'll never know
Emphasizes the unknowable aspects of life.
Years went past and your mom and me we stopped seeing eye to eye
Describes a strained relationship with the imagined person's mother.
And when she left you know it took a breath for me to see to the other side
Realization and reflection after the person's mother leaves.
I guess we lost our way, it couldn't be the same
The acknowledgment that the relationship couldn't remain the same.
After all that we went through
Rejects blame, recognizing it wasn't meant to be.
And blame ain't got no part in this, it just wasn't meant to be
Highlights the absence of fault in the situation.
At times I can't help wondering where we all would be
The singer wonders about alternative paths if the person were born.
If you were born and we brought you home
Imagines a hypothetical scenario of the person being part of the family.
To be a family
Expresses a longing for a family dynamic with the imagined person.
Would you lay right down beside me on the couch the way I did
Envisions shared moments on the couch.
To watch a movie with my old man the way I did when I was a kid
Recalls childhood experiences with the singer's own father.
Would you be so shy that your head hung low wherever you would go
Speculates on the imagined person's personality.
Or would you try to be the star of every show
Questions whether the person would seek attention or remain reserved.
That's just another thing we'll never know
Emphasizes the uncertainty surrounding the person's potential.
I never got to say hello, but then I never said goodbye
The singer never had the chance to greet or say goodbye.
I just kept going on with life, I didn't take the time to cry
Acknowledges the singer's coping mechanism of not expressing grief.
I thought being strong meant not letting on
The misconception that strength means concealing emotional pain.
That it broke my heart in two
Realizes the emotional impact and heartbreak over time.
Truth be told it took till now for me to find the words to say
The singer finds the words to express the lingering pain.
To let you know that you left a hole on the day you went away
Describes the void left by the person's departure.
So I'll say it here, and I'll shed my tears
The singer openly expresses sorrow and remembrance.
In memory of you
The song is dedicated to the memory of the imagined person.
I wrote this song to say that you still come up in my mind
Despite attempts to move forward, the person remains in the singer's thoughts.
Even though I tried to keep my stride and to leave that day behind
Acknowledges the challenge of moving on.
I'm the dad you'll never have but I won't ever let you go
The singer assumes a paternal role but affirms a lasting love.
And I hope somehow you know I love you so
The hope that the imagined person knows of the love.
But that's just another thing I'll never know
Reflects on the perpetual uncertainty and questions left unanswered.
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