The story behind this song
It's four in the morning and she's up again. Her hair's been in the same knot since Tuesday, there's a burp cloth on every chair in the house, and she's apologizing for the dishes — the dishes — while holding a human being she grew from scratch. From the doorway, he watches the most staggering thing he's ever seen, on repeat, at 2, at 4, at dawn.
She hums a song to the baby she's never sung before; where'd she learn it? It came installed, like everything she somehow already knows. She keeps asking if she's doing it right. For the new mother who can't see what he sees — that she made a whole person, and stayed up all night keeping them alive.
Lyrics
And I don't think you know what I see
There's a burp cloth on every chair we own
You apologized for the dishes — love, the dishes
While you held a human being you grew from scratch
Let me answer once for the rest of our lives
Out of nothing but yourself
Built their heart from your heartbeat
Then gave them all your sleep as well
You don't see what I see from the doorway —
The strongest thing in this house
Is you, in that rocking chair
You made a whole person, and I watched
You hum a song I've never heard you sing
Where'd you learn it? You just shrug — it came installed
Like everything you somehow already know
I'm counting all the ways you amaze me
Out of nothing but yourself
Built their heart from your heartbeat
Then gave them all your sleep as well
You don't see what I see from the doorway —
The strongest thing in this house
Is you, in that rocking chair
You made a whole person, and I watched
And some stranger will say "you're so good at this"
To a person you grew, raised, and aimed at the world —
It started here, in the dark, with you
Out of nothing but yourself
And between the feeds and the worry
You became someone new as well
So sleep five more minutes, I've got them —
The strongest thing in this house
Needs to rest her eyes
You made a whole person — now let me watch you both
You did it again — another night, love. You did it.
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