[Verse 1]

It was three in the mornin’… I don’t know why

Somethin’ in me just opened my eyes

Felt like the house was holdin’ its breath

Like even the dark was scared of death

I walked outside, barefoot and slow

Didn’t really know where I was gonna go

Just a kid in a t-shirt, five years old

But my heart already knew too much to be told

[Verse 2]

There was your car, sittin’ quiet out back

Windows all fogged, engine runnin’ black

A hose from the tailpipe, tucked in tight

Didn’t know what it meant… but it wasn’t right

[Chorus]

I was only five years old

Didn’t know nothin’ ‘bout leavin’ this world cold

But my hands shook, and my heart raced

I picked up a rock and smashed that glass in place

Didn’t know what I was savin’ you from

Didn’t know why you felt so gone

I was only five years old…

But I knew I couldn’t let you go

[Verse 3]

You never spoke a word ‘bout that night

Like it got swallowed up by the sky

But I saw it in your quiet ways

In the coffee cups, the far-off gaze

You gave me all you could even when it hurt

And I learned early… love don’t always come first

Sometimes love is just holdin’ on

Even when it feels all wrong

[Chorus]

I was only five years old

Too little to carry all that weight and hold

But I saw the truth behind your eyes

That even strong hearts sometimes hide

Didn’t know how deep your shadows ran

But I still grabbed your hand

I was only five years old…

But I was already your little man

[Bridge]

Now you’re gone, and I still wake

With dreams about a life we couldn’t make

But Mama, I don’t carry blame

Only love, only your name

[Final Chorus]

I was only five years old

But I knew the difference between warm and cold

Between leavin’ quiet and holdin’ on

Between givin’ up and bein’ strong

I still see that hose, that midnight light

Still reach for you in my sleep some nights

I was only five years old…

But I knew.

I knew.

[Outro]

Through her window…

Where love broke through.

© 2026 Thomas Bruggemann, Heartfelt Lyrics