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Lyrics
She Never Knew
[Verse 1]
I was just five, couldn’t run with the rest
Doctors poked needles, said, “Do your best”
Braces on both legs, crutches by the door
But Mama made me feel like I could soar
[Verse 2]
She tied my shoes when I couldn’t bend
Turned hospital halls into places we’d pretend
Held my hand when I went under the knife
Said, “You’re stronger than this, son — this ain’t your whole life”
[Verse 3]
She’d pack a bag for every long stay
Bring comic books and a smile every day
Talked to the nurses like she ran the floor
Slept in chairs, prayed beside the door
[Verse 4]
She’d cry in secret, never let me see
Built her whole world ’round takin’ care of me
Through casts and braces, years of pain
She was my shelter in the pouring rain
[Pre-Chorus]
We blamed bad luck, maybe our blood
Never dreamed the truth was hidin’ in the dust
[Chorus]
She never knew, that cigarette glow
Was fillin’ my lungs with more than smoke
It slipped in quiet, just passin’ through
Choked off the blood to my hip, bit by bit too
It starved the bone, left it to die
While she held me up, lookin’ God in the eye
She was just lovin’ me the best she could do
But Mama…
She never knew
[Verse 5]
Years rolled on, I made my way
Still limped through the hurt most every day
She never missed a game or show
Cheerin’ louder than I’d ever know
[Verse 6]
She said, “You were born to beat the odds”
I believed her more than I believed the docs
I owe that fire, that fight in me
To the way she never let me feel weak
[Pre-Chorus]
But after she passed, I saw the charts
The truth hit hard and tore me apart
[Chorus]
She never knew, her sweet secondhand
Was the silent thief behind the plan
It got in my lungs, then into my veins
Blocked the blood and built up the pain
What we thought was fate, was just smoke in the air
She would’ve stopped — she would’ve cared
She was just lovin’ me the best she could do
But Mama…
She never knew
[Bridge]
If she’d known it was killin’ me slow
She would’ve crushed out every last smoke
She gave everything to help me heal
Never thought the cause was part of the deal
[Outro]
She never knew, but she gave her soul
To keep me whole when I couldn’t control
And though the truth cuts like a rusted knife
I still thank her for givin’ me life
She was my hero — through and through
And Mama…
I forgive you
‘Cause Mama…
You never knew
© 2026 Thomas Bruggemann, Heartfelt Lyrics