I Gave Out The Keys

[Intro]
I kept a spare key under every mat
Learned every birthday, every coat, every cat

[Verse 1]
You called from the airport; I stayed on the line
I missed my own dinner to make sure you were fine
I carried your boxes up three flights of stairs
Then went home too tired to notice who cares

I knew how to listen, how to soften a room
How to say, “Take your time,” while I swallowed my own
I gave out my yes like a glass of cold water
Now kindness feels borrowed, and I don’t feel I’m wanted

[Pre-Chorus]
I made a home in the hands of the leaving
Kept every porch light on through the season
Now when you reach for me, I flinch at the door
Afraid I’ve got nothing worth asking for

[Chorus]
I gave my heart away by the handful
Till my own hands came up bare
I made myself useful to everyone
Then wondered who would stay there
If love is a room, I gave out the keys
And slept in the hall by the wall
I’m not hard to love—I’ve been pouring so long
I forgot I could keep some at all

[Verse 2]
Your blue mug still sits by the sink at my place
The chipped one you used when you slept here for days
I learned all the names of the storms in your life
But forgot mine was rising the same night

I said, “I’m all right,” with a practiced small smile
While the laundry stayed folded for more than a while
I kept every promise you needed me to
Then heard my own voice asking, “Who’s left for you?”

[Pre-Chorus]
I made a home in the hands of the leaving
Kept every porch light on through the season
Now when you reach for me, I flinch at the door
Afraid I’ve got nothing worth asking for

[Chorus]
I gave my heart away by the handful
Till my own hands came up bare
I made myself useful to everyone
Then wondered who would stay there
If love is a room, I gave out the keys
And slept in the hall by the wall
I’m not hard to love—I’ve been pouring so long
I forgot I could keep some at all

[Bridge: half-time, intimate]
The last train leaves at ten past nine
I let it go so you could make yours on time
Your coat on my shoulders, your name in my phone
I can’t keep calling that proof I’m alone

[Build]
Maybe the cup isn’t empty forever
Maybe a hand can unclench
Maybe the love I kept sending outward
Can find its way home again

[Final Chorus]
I gave my heart away by the handful
But these hands are still mine to spare
I can be tender and still have a doorway
I can let someone meet me there
If love is a room, I can keep one key
And open the door when I’m sure
I’m not hard to love—I was giving it all
Now I’m learning to leave some for me

[Outro]
The blue mug stays; I don’t have to throw it away
I can wash it, set it down, and make room today