Verse 1. Well the pain cuts me deep, her lingerie in our sheets,
A broken heart from a broken promise,
And you don’t give a damn, her lipstick case in your van,
Replaced the glow of our first kiss.
Chorus 1.* I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) just couldn’t tell you, (just couldn’t tell you) I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) Baby.
I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) just couldn’t tell you, (just couldn’t tell you) Baby.
Verse 2. You and your whiskey are mean, in ways they’ve just never seen,
Your eyes turn black then you’re missin’,
And all I do here is cry, and wish to God I could die,
And dream of huggin’ and kissin’.
Chorus 2. I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) just couldn’t tell you, (just couldn’t tell you) I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) Baby.
I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) just couldn’t tell you, (just couldn’t tell you) Baby.
Verse 3. So now I’m leavin’ it here, your shit, your shame, and my fear,
I got a job in Missouri,
You’ll never hurt me again, talk shit or blacken my skin,
I gotta go — in a hurry.
Chorus 3.** I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) just couldn’t tell you, (just couldn’t tell you) I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) Baby.
I couldn’t tell you, (couldn’t tell you) I couldn’t tell you, (I couldn’t tell you) just couldn’t tell you, (just couldn’t tell you) Baby.
I couldn’t tell you (I couldn’t tell you) Baby,
I couldn’t tell you (I couldn’t tell you) Baby,
I couldn’t tell you (I couldn’t tell you) Baby.
Paul D. Kai Swigart — Fire Prince Music, BMI
Inspired Music and Lyrics — written between 7-8 A.M. on Tuesday, October 20
*In choruses the guy sings the first phrase and then the girl echoes from parentheses —
until Chorus 3/see note at end, and then they both sing in harmony on the word “Baby.”
— and the girl echoing will also do some soulful ad-libbing throughout chorus lines.
Since both parties in the song had things they didn’t tell the other about, both are being
expressed in the choruses — he couldn’t (or didn’t) tell her about his girlfriend and she
couldn’t tell him she was leaving (for safety reasons).
**From Chorus 3 on out the girl sings the first phrase and the guy sings the parenthetical
response/echo — so the girl is empowered and initiating as the song resolves — both
still sing harmony on the word “Baby.”
