Rosie

Lyrics

“DADDY SHOULD’VE BEEN THERE (ROSIE)” Gritty country rock / emotional pain ballad [Intro — Soft piano, distant violin] (Whispered, breaking voice) Lord, I prayed for years… Just to see my baby girl… Now I’m praying I can find the strength To face this cruel, cold world… Oh, Rosie… Daddy’s here, baby… [Verse 1 — Acoustic guitar enters] They took you away when you were seven years old, Left a hole in my heart that the world never knows. I kept reaching for you, but the door stayed closed, Every number blocked, every bridge turned to stone. I’d sit in my room with my head in my hands, Praying God would change your mama’s plans. “Please, Lord, let me show her the dad I can be, Just give me one chance, let my baby see me.” But the years kept running like rain down the street, Eight birthdays gone that I couldn’t celebrate. I had dreams of your smile, your hand in mine, Now I’m looking back, wishing I could rewind. [Pre-Chorus — Piano builds] I thought the hardest thing I’d ever feel Was a little girl’s love I couldn’t make real. But God, I didn’t know what was waiting for me… I didn’t know what had happened to sweet Rosie. [Chorus — Full drums, electric guitar, violin] Oh, Rosie, Daddy’s sorry, I was nowhere to be found, I was fighting just to reach you while your world was breaking down. I begged the Lord to change a heart, I cried until I couldn’t speak, Never dreamed the little girl I loved was hurting silently. Now I’m holding you and breaking, trying not to fall apart, There’s a thousand things I’d change if I could go back to the start. You were supposed to have a daddy who would keep you safe and free… Oh, Rosie, I’m so sorry for the years you went without me. (Background vocals: “I should’ve been there… I should’ve been there…”) [Verse 2 — Phone-call sound effect, piano only] Eight years later, my phone lit up that night, Your mama on Facebook, saying, “Diego, listen, all right? Don’t crash out, take a second, baby, breathe before you go. I’m finna tell you something, and it’s gonna hurt you more than you know.” “Your daughter needs you at Singing River, Mississippi. Get here right now.” I said, “Tell me what’s wrong, please.” She started crying, couldn’t get the words to come, I said, “Tell me now!” She said, “Please, just come.” My chest got heavy, couldn’t catch my breath, My knees hit the floor like I was staring down death. I tried to be a father, tried to keep my head straight, But something in my soul knew I’d just heard the sound of fate. [Pre-Chorus — Violin rises, voice cracks] I drove through the darkness, tears blurring the road, Praying for an answer, scared of what I’d be told. Police and DHR standing there in the hall… I walked in a father, but I couldn’t stand tall. [Chorus — Bigger, raw vocals] Oh, Rosie, Daddy’s sorry, I was nowhere to be found, I was fighting just to reach you while your world was breaking down. I begged the Lord to change a heart, I cried until I couldn’t speak, Never dreamed the little girl I loved was hurting silently. Now I’m holding you and breaking, trying not to fall apart, There’s a thousand things I’d change if I could go back to the start. You were supposed to have a daddy who would keep you safe and free… Oh, Rosie, I’m so sorry for the years you went without me. [Verse 3 — Drums drop out; piano and cello-like violin] They told me, “She’s in labor and delivery.” I said, “What? My baby’s still a child to me.” Then they told me something no father should hear, And the whole damn world disappeared. Three and a half months pregnant… how could this be? Her stepfather had abused her, they told me. She’d miscarried at school, in the middle of class, And I felt my whole life shatter like glass. I couldn’t understand it, couldn’t process the pain, My mind went silent while my tears fell like rain. They told me, “Be strong,” but I couldn’t find the strength, I was drowning in a hurt that had no bottom, no end. I thought about the years I spent knocking on that door, All those nights I cried, asking God for something more. And now my baby needed me in ways I can’t explain… How do you hold your daughter while you’re dying from the pain? [Bridge — Long, emotional build] (Piano alone; spoken through tears) How could this happen to our sweet little Rosie? How did the world let this happen to my baby? I said I’d protect you from the monsters outside… Never knew the monster was somebody inside your life. (Acoustic guitar enters softly) And I’m mad at the world, got a storm in my veins, Want somebody to answer for your tears and your pain. But I won’t let my anger be the thing that you see, You need a father beside you, not a man lost in grief. (Voice begins to crack; violin swells) Baby, look at me… Daddy’s right here. You don’t have to hide, you don’t have to fear. What happened wasn’t your fault, not one little bit, You were only a child… you didn’t deserve this. I wish I could take it, every tear, every scar, I wish I could go back