My dad wasn't always a bad man

He used to show up smilin

Toy in hand

Little cars

Plastic trains

Anything a boy could dream

He'd look at me

And his eyes would gleam

I'd spend some nights with Mom

Some nights with him

And every time I saw him

I was home again

One Christmas

Man, yeah I still see it clear

Wrappin' paper piled high

Gifts everywhere

I sat there cryin

Yeah it didn't make no sense

Said"Nobody loves me

Didn't get no Clay-Doh"

Lookin' back

Can't believe I cried over somethin' like this

But Dad dropped everything right there

Yeah it was cold out

But he didn't care

Went to the store like it wasn't a thing

My happiness meant more than anything

Came back with the biggest pack the store sold

Yeah that was a kind of love I thought would grow

You were good once

Yeah, I swear you were

I remember feelin' safe

I remember feelin' sure

I know what changed it

And yeah, I know what it did

But you were good once

And I still remember it

I started hearin' things I didn't understand

Voices in my ear sayin' he wasn't a good man

I was just a kid

Didn't know what to do

But fear got loud and drowned out the truth

I started pullin' back

Wouldn't meet his eyes

Didn't trust his hands

Didn't want him by my side

And I know now

Man, that cut him deep

But back then I was just tryna breathe

I didn't know I was breakin' you

Didn't know what those words would do

Yeah you were good once

Yeah, I swear you were

I remember feelin' safe

I remember feelin' sure

I know what changed it

And yeah, I know what it did

But you were good once

And I still remember it

I see it clearer now than I ever did back then

You weren't just angry

You were breakin' within

I was just a kid man

I didn't know what to do

Caught between what I felt

And what I thought was truth

You were good once

Yeah, I swear you were

I remember feelin' safe

I remember feelin' sure

I know what changed it

And yeah, I know what it did

But you were good once

And I still remember it

Yeah, I still remember it

Even if I wish I didn't