Breathing Lessons

(ooh) {warm acoustic fingerpicking,

soft pedal steel swells,

gentle room ambience} When I was born my lungs were weak

In that

hospital room, the outlook bleak

Twelve long weeks till they let me go

Then you

held me tight in the winter snow {intimate close-mic'd acoustic guitar,

delicate

vocal delivery} In twenty-fourteen,

another fight

A brain bleed kept us up all night

Four years old, then a Tennessee move

We went away, but we found our groove You were busy,

always out on the line

But that's okay, yeah that's just fine {soft upright bass entry,

gentle brushed snare snare drum} I learned to breathe underwater and stay

away from fire

I learned to ride a bike and to reach a little higher

To stand up tall and not be afraid Because of every single

promise that you made (oh yeah) {full band entry,

swelling organ, soaring emotional vocals} You taught me how to read the

Bible page by page

Getting closer to God at an early age

How to swing a bat,

how to play basketball

Standing by my side whenever I would fall {dynamics soften slightly,

warm piano chords under the vocal}

I learned to breathe underwater and stay away from fire

I learned to ride a bike and to reach a little higher

To stand up tall and not be afraid Because of every single

promise that you made {anthemic climax,

weeping electric

guitar solo outlines melody} Cause you're my father,

the one who taught me everything

(yes you did) Yeah,

you taught me how to sing

{instruments fade down to a single acoustic guitar,

final soft vocal breath}