Opinions and Advice [Lyrics]
Hey there, I am new to music and specifically songwriting. I’ve been doing a lot of it recently just for fun and for myself. I try to aim for something along the lines of old country storytelling music for the most part. I’ll post the lyrics of my favorite song below. Let me know what you guys think.
Thank you
Title: The Ghost that you Knew
You were good to me, better than most
Held my hand through the hell that I carried close
But I was deep in the bottle, lost in the flame
And you couldn’t fix what I wouldn’t name
I watched you break like a branch in the flood
With that look in your eyes like you’d given enough
You said, “I love you too much to stay and watch you drown,”
Then you turned and you walked like a laugh leaves a clown
Now it’s been ten years, I saw you today
Same slow smile, just a little more gray
You asked how I’m doing, I said, “I’m alright”
But the truth’s in my hands, and the shakes every night
You were the best thing I ever let go
And I’m just a ghost that you used to know
I got clean for a while, hell, maybe a year
But the nights got too quiet and the past too near
I still hear your voice in the hush of the rain
Sayin’ “you ain’t just broken — you’re hiding your pain”
I work part-time at the diner by 10
Write poems on napkins I’ll never send
You came in today like some song I forgot
And my heart damn near stopped right there on the spot
Now it’s been ten years, I saw you today
Same slow smile, just a little more gray
You asked how I’m doing, I said, “I’m alright”
But the truth’s in my hands, and the shakes every night
You were the best thing I ever let go
And I’m just a ghost that you used to know
I ain’t lookin’ for mercy, don’t need you to stay
Just needed to see you still walking that way
And know you got free from the mess I became
‘Cause I still carry love like a brand on my name
Yeah, it’s been ten years, but your shadow still stays
In the back of my mind and the songs that I play
You said I could shine, but I chose the dim light
Now I’m chasing the dawn through the wreckage of night
You were the truth in a world full of smoke
And I’m just a ghost that you used to know
You were good to me, better than most
Held on tight while I turned into smoke
I was neck-deep in bourbon, chasin’ the flame
And too damn proud to shoulder the blame
I saw you crack like a glass in the storm
You gave and gave ‘til your love was worn
You said, “I can’t watch you die while I’m standing by,”
Then you packed up the light and you told me goodbye
Now it’s been ten years, saw you today
Same bright eyes, just a little more grace
You asked how I’m doing, I said, “I’m alright”
But the truth’s in my bones, in the cold of the night
You were the best thing I ever ran through
And I’m just a ghost that you used to knew
I got clean for a while, maybe a year
Then the silence got loud and the dark reappeared
Still hear your laugh in a warm July wind
Still curse myself for the shape I was in
I’m working some job I don’t care much about
Writing songs just to sweat the poison out
Then today there you were like a prayer come true
And all I could say was, “How’s life been to you?”
Now it’s been ten years, saw you today
Same bright eyes, just a little more grace
You asked how I’m doing, I said, “I’m alright”
But the truth’s in my bones, in the cold of the night
You were the best thing I ever ran through
And I’m just a ghost that you used to knew
I’m not askin’ for mercy, don’t need you to stay
Just wanted to see if you still looked the same
You deserved a man who could hold the line
Not a bottle-fed fool with a wrecked-up mind
Yeah, it’s been ten years, but you still shine bright
Like the good I once held in the worst part of life
I gave up the fight when I let go of you
Now I haunt my own steps, ‘cause I know it was true
You were the light I could never walk to
And I’m just a ghost that you used to knew