You Were There but Not for Me

Your mama's picture's still on the wall, Right where she used to pray. The house went quiet when she was gone, And I just drifted away. Not out the door, not down the road, But somewhere I couldn't see. You were sittin' right beside me, But you weren't there for me. I kept waiting for you to notice that I Was breaking too. You were there, but not for me. You were crying, I never broke through. You didn't need me perfect, You just needed me to be true. When your whole world fell apart, And I was on my knees, you were there, But not for me. Ooh, yeah. You learned to hide it in your smile, And I let that fool my eyes. Every time you needed saving, I just passed you by. And I see you now in strangers' arms, Looking for what I never gave. But every time they walked away, It felt like losing you. And I kept hoping you would turn around and Finally see me. You were there, but not for me. A ghost inside my memory. I didn't need your money, I just needed you to see, that I was Just a little girl, begging on her Knees. You were there, but not for me. And I don't hate you, I just don't understand, how a father can be Present, But never hold your hand. Maybe you were broken, maybe you were lost too. But I was just a child, still reaching for You. You were there, but not for me, And that's the hardest memory. Not that you ever left me, But you never chose to be. And I'm still learning how to love, Without that emptiness in me. From the man who stayed, But wasn't there for me. You were there, But I needed you.