Steel On Steel
J. Tillman Lyrics

Sometimes a memory will fade away
Occasionally, a memory will diminish and lose its clarity

And only the ones you need will stay
Only the memories that hold significant meaning for you will remain

Like hearing guitars down the hallway
Similar to the experience of listening to guitars being played in the distance

Where you and dad would often play
Referring to the times when the artist and their father used to play guitars together

Found an old guitar and learned how to play
Discovered an aged guitar and acquired the skill of playing it

Learned the music you wrote and sang
Mastered the melodies and lyrics that you composed and performed

I'll never forget all those times we played
The singer will forever hold in memory the moments they spent playing together

And all the hours to your songs we gave
The considerable amount of time dedicated to playing and listening to your songs

Now that times have changed
Acknowledging the shift that has occurred over the course of time

And will never be the same
Recognizing that things will never return to how they were before

My mind goes back to those better days
Reflecting on the past, particularly on the more joyful and fulfilling moments

The steel string you played don't Sound like you
The instrument that you used to play no longer resonates with your essence

Those songs you sang now Have a different tune
The melodies you once sang have undergone a change and no longer possess the same character

I can still hear the sound of that sweet steel slide
The singer can still vividly recall the distinct sound produced by the steel slide guitar technique

But most of all I wish We had more time
Above all, the singer desires an extension of the limited time they had together

Life comes around and tries to break you
Life presents challenges and endeavors to weaken your spirit

You may lose your faith and don't know what to do
In times of adversity, it is possible to lose faith and feel uncertain about how to proceed

Unsung songs will never be used by you
The songs that were never performed by you will perpetually remain unutilized

Til someone comes around and gets to show you
Unless someone arrives and demonstrates the worth of those unsung songs to you

Sorry for not saying what I
Expressing regret for not articulating what I

Was too scared to say
Words that I was afraid to vocalize

But we both know I ain't
However, both of us are aware that I am not

Built that way
Inherently predisposed to be that way

I'll always know I'll be
I will forever possess the knowledge that I will

Seeing you again
Encounter you once more

And I hope like you I'll fight in the end
Additionally, I aspire to exhibit the same resilience as you did until the final moments