I wrote the lyrics to this song on the bus to an early shift at work and this was the day I realized I couldn't do early shifts anymore. When it ends up in lyrics like this.
lyrics
All He Could Be
Verse 1
He was a painter far beyond his time
An artist that could've changed the world
He died suddenly in the middle of his prime
His body was tainted, but his soul was pure
He had some stories to tell
Fantastic works made just out of boredom
A collection of pictures he would sell
To anyone who could afford them
Chorus
He sure wasn't perfect
He sure had his flaws
Wish him hell and let him burn
Curse his name and doom him
He sure seemed quite mirky
He sure could do more
But one day you're gonna learn
He was only human
(and that's all that he could be)
Verse 2
He became a father at twenty two
Way too young to see life was in front of him
And all his dreams fell apart before he knew
How much they'd really want of him
When he had worked to earn his keep
When he found out about his daughter
Those lonely nights he would weep
But still relieved it wasn't him to who caught her
Verse 3
He had a gun to protect kids and wife
In a safe, locked drawer next to the shelf
He offered anything for a quiet life
Never felt like a danger to himself
The first two bullets left two in laws dead
It took justa glimpse of his traitor brother
But now the third bullet went straight into his head
He could've forgiven any other
More folk-inflected confessionals on love, loss, and anxiety — plus a Kacey Musgraves cameo —from the Nashville indie pop auteur. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 11, 2024