Shane Koyczan - A Good Day lyrics

You used to say
"On a good day, I only break his heart once"
That was before you learned to lie
Back when you used to tell
Him the truth 'cause you
Never had the kind of relationship
That allowed for secrets
But now somehow a lie fit's better
Fit's like a letter slipped through
The slot of a locker
Because the doctor told you if there
Was anything more they could do
They would do it he's not coming back
And in the moment you knew it
You learned how to lie
Because there are times when the
Cost of truth is so high that we in-debt our
Own hearts to heartbreak
We make love into a currency that can't
Be cashed in because there's never been
A bank that will give out a loan


Based on the collateral of hope
They'll lend anyone enough rope to hang
Their family's future on a rope
Then scheme some way to foreclose
And everyone knows they have
Billions of dollars
But no dads in their vault

So you learned how to lie
Because it's not his fault that he can't
Remember that your mom, his wife
Had a life that ended two years ago
So you forged a passport into his heart
Trespassing into his past
Under the name of the last one to live there
Because healthcare can't cover the
Misplaced memories of families
Whose secrets spill out like jewels from
The over-sized holes in pants
Pockets that someone
In the family has to wear
And you tell me that every stitch
Is as valuable as every tear
But pull a single string and
The whole thing will unravel
So you travel across borders
Under an assumed identity
Where the broken branch of a family
Tree is built into a confessional
And you listen to an apology
Meant for your mother
Something about another woman on a night
Before a flight back home
And you forgive him because that's
What Mom would do
You know because he says thank you
Which means Mom already did
Hid this secret away like one
Of those stray cats
You used to keep hidden in your room
Hoping no one would ever know
And you tell me, "I didn't mean to grow up
"It was an accident"
And I know you never meant
To be 42 years old
Having to go through this
Having to miss him at the
Same time you're with him
Having him gone at the same time he's there
Having to stare at the first word you said
And now not being able to say it
And you can't remember despite
Your best efforts how
Or when the word "daddy" became "dad"
How two extra letters had and have
All the safety of weightlessness
We both know this
Because you used to be my babysitter
And when the nightmares would shake me awake
You'd make and take the time to tell me
"Daddy's gonna be home soon"
Because to us that word meant security

Or bravery or, "Dear Mr boogie Man
You better not be under my bed or in my
Closet because my daddy's gonna deposit his
Foot so far up your ass
The interest alone will be enough
For him to retire early
We grew up in confessionals
And were taught that a lie
Under any circumstance is wrong
But how can the sacrifice of belong to
Anything less than the virtue it
Takes to break one's own heart to
Ease another's descent into madness?
How can anyone dismiss love as if it
Wasn't the only reason to risk everything
Knowing full well you can't bring them back?
That there are no footprints or
Trails to track to find
Them, and all you can do is be there
And you are despite your own husband
You wear your mother's wedding ring
Because it was something he asked about
When he saw you without it
That was a bad day when you saw the way
He couldn't understand how
Your hand held someone else's
Promise of forever
And that's it's never you he
Will remember it's her
And the only time you're sure he still
Loves you is when he asks:
"How's your baby?"
And may very well be that you break
Your own heart when you answer:
"She's good, sweetie she's happy"