You Broke Me First

Lyrics

[Verse 1] You left your coffee by the window Cold beside the morning train I read the note beneath the saucer Like the ink could change You said you needed room to breathe I gave you every inch I had Now the apartment sounds enormous And the silence sounds like that [Pre-Chorus] I keep finding little evidence A hair tie on the sink The way you knew my worst days Before I had to speak [Chorus] You broke me first, then called it mercy Pulled the ground from underneath I was still reaching for your sweater While you were learning how to leave You broke me first, but I’m not empty There’s a pulse beneath the hurt If I’m the one who lost forever I’m the one who gets to choose what’s next [Verse 2] Your number’s gone from my favorites But my thumb still knows the way I almost sent you something funny Then remembered yesterday The neighbor asked if you were coming I said, “No, not anymore” Funny how a two-word answer Can turn a home into a door [Pre-Chorus] I keep finding little evidence A dent beside the bed The shape of all the promises We never got to spend [Chorus] You broke me first, then called it mercy Pulled the ground from underneath I was still reaching for your sweater While you were learning how to leave You broke me first, but I’m not empty There’s a pulse beneath the hurt If I’m the one who lost forever I’m the one who gets to choose what’s next [Bridge] I won’t make you the villain Just to make myself feel clean You were honest at the ending I was late to what you’d seen But the part you left in pieces Is beginning to repair I can miss the way you held me And still not want you there [Final Chorus] You broke me first, then called it mercy Pulled the ground from underneath I was still reaching for your sweater While you were learning how to leave You broke me first, but I’m not empty There’s a pulse beneath the hurt You can keep the old forever I’ll decide what all this pain is worth [Outro] The coffee cup is in the cupboard The morning finds me there I still miss you sometimes But I’m learning not to care