Now That We're Not a Family
Navigating Heartbreak: A Tale of Broken Homes and Unanswered Calls
Lyrics
As a child they were the world to me
Reflecting on childhood where parents were everything.
I was the quiet trusting kind
Describing a quiet and trusting personality.
She gave me love
Mother provided love.
He gave me honesty
Father provided honesty.
He told me he and mom couldn't get along
Father explained problems with mom, leading to his departure.
It was time for him to leave
Father decided to leave due to marital issues.
And I said, "Now that it's not your home
Expressing the changed status of home after the father's departure.
Who's gonna sing me off to sleep?
Questioning who will provide comfort before sleep.
Now that you're on your own
Highlighting the father's independent life.
Who's gonna answer when I call you?"
Asking who will respond when needing support.
At the sound of the tone
Referring to a voicemail with no family unity.
Just a voice on the phone
Emphasizing the isolation felt with just a voice on the phone.
Now that we're not a family
Stating the current state of no family bond.
What did I do to make you both so mad
Questioning actions that led to parental anger.
I know it must have been my fault
Accepting responsibility for perceived faults.
We share the memories
Sharing memories but struggling to keep them alive.
That we all had
Highlighting shared memories with parents.
But they're hard to hold
Mentioning the difficulty of holding memories in difficult times.
In December's cold
Referencing the emotional challenge in December.
And I know that they won't bring you back
Acknowledging that memories won't bring back the absent parent.
Now that it's not your home
Reiterating the changed atmosphere after the father's departure.
Who's gonna help us trim the tree
Wondering who will participate in Christmas traditions.
Now that you've got your own
Noting the father's separate life during the holidays.
Will you be here on Christmas morning?
Questioning the father's presence on Christmas morning.
Wipe the sleep from my eyes
Depicting a routine of waking up without the father's presence.
Check your room, no surprise
Searching for the father in his absence.
Now that we're not a family
Emphasizing the fractured family dynamic.
I've memorized some things about you
Memorizing details about the absent parent.
But they're an undependable
Recognizing the inadequacy of memories without the person.
Substitute without you
Expressing the difficulty of finding substitutes for the absent parent.
Now that it's not your home
Acknowledging the father's new family and life.
You've got a brand new family
Stating the father's establishment of a new family unit.
A new baby of your own
Anticipating the father's role in a new baby's life.
Pretty soon she'll call you daddy
Expecting the new baby to call the father "daddy."
And you'll always be there
Recognizing the permanent absence of shared experiences.
Something we'll never share
Acknowledging the non-shared aspects of the father's new life.
Now that we're not a family
Emphasizing the finality of the broken family.
At the sound of the tone
Referring to an impersonal voicemail response due to family separation.
"Sorry we're not at home"
Imagining a message expressing the unavailability of the family.
Now that we're not a family
Reiterating the irreversible state of no family.
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