Lyrics

YOU SHOULD KNOW ME BY NOW

[Verse 1]
After all these years together,
You still question where I stand,
Still mistake my quiet moments
For a heart that changed its plans.
When I need a little breathing,
You assume I’m letting go,
But I’ve never loved by running—
You should know that much by now.

I have stood beside your failures,
Never used them as a blade.
I have guarded all your secrets,
Even when my own heart ached.
Still you search my every sentence
For a meaning I don’t hide.
Why must I keep proving feelings
I have shown you with my life?

[Chorus]
You should know me by now,
Know I don’t give love halfway.
When I say that I am with you,
I don’t change from day to day.
You should know when I grow silent,
I’m just sorting through my mind.
I’m not planning my departure,
I’m not leaving love behind.
After everything I’ve given,
After every sacred vow,
If you still don’t trust my loving,
You should know me better by now.

[Verse 2]
I don’t need to own your footsteps
Just to know that you are mine.
Love was never meant to watch you
Or keep records of your time.
But the freedom that I give you
Is the freedom that I need.
Don’t confuse my independence
With a heart that wants to leave.

I’m the woman who will tell you
When the truth may bruise your pride.
I won’t flatter you with comfort
While the wrong thing grows inside.
When I challenge your decisions,
I am trying to help you rise.
I would rather risk your anger
Than become another lie.

[Chorus]
You should know me by now,
Know my love has weight and truth.
I have stayed through every season,
I have walked the dark with you.
You should know I’m not your enemy
When I ask you to be strong.
I’m the one who kept believing
When the whole world proved you wrong.
After every night I held you
When your strength had broken down,
How can you still doubt my loving?
You should know me better by now.

[Bridge]
Maybe you’ve been loved so poorly
That devotion feels unsure.
Maybe every old betrayal
Makes you question something pure.
But I cannot spend forever
Paying debts I never made.
You must judge me by my actions,
Not by those who walked away.

[Final Chorus]
You should know me by now,
Know my heart does not pretend.
I can be your loving woman
Without losing who I am.
I will stand beside your purpose,
But I won’t abandon mine.
We can grow in one direction
Without crossing every line.
I have loved you without weakness,
I have loved you strong and proud.
So believe the woman with you—
Baby, you should know me now.

[Outro]
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