The Dutiful Daughter

I played the role of the dutiful daughter,

I dotted every "i" and crossed every "t."

So then why did it have to be me?

Why did I have to be the one you betrayed,

The one whose heart you broke in every single way?

I believed beyond all reason,

I hoped beyond all hope,

That my intuition was wrong.

I played my part so well—

Why couldn't you do yours?

To protect me, to love me, to cherish me.

Instead, yet again,

The pain was too much? You had to cope?

What about me and all the pain you put me through?

What about how I was coping?

I was doing better.

I was getting somewhere.

You threw my hard work and crushed it—

Again.

I played my part so well,

So why does it hurt so much?

You called me on my birthday

And told me singing wasn't worth it,

That I wasn’t worth it.

My love was never going to be enough for you,

It was never going to heal you.

The drugs were your medicine,

And my pain, the remedy.

I know you're not happy,

But I can't stay here.

I quit this part.

I was the dutiful daughter

Whose only sin

Was loving her father with all her heart.