But That Was Then
single
But That Was Then
Rose builds ‘But That Was Then’ through three distinct losses: the childhood dream of flight, a music career let go at dawn, and finally something heavier, a diagnosis that reframes everything before it. The lyric that turns the whole song is the last chorus shift, ‘I was always meant to end / I wish I’d known this then,’ and Rose earns it because the verses have done the patient, honest work of stacking regret without self-pity. In G major and at a tempo that feels brisk on paper but lands as purposeful in the room, the arrangement pulls the classic move of stripping back for verses and opening up for choruses, but the production has enough space in the mix that it never feels mechanical; the clean electric guitar line threading through the first section has the same clear-eyed warmth you get from early John Hiatt, and the drums kicking in at the chorus provide exactly the lift the lyric needs. At nearly six minutes this asks for your full attention, and it rewards it.
Lyrics
In my dreams I would fly And each morning remember Where I had gone And how I got there
I thought and I flew Free from time and space An effortless journey The freedom of anyplace
“You know dreams aren’t real,” I said And I never flew again
But that was then, when now seemed far away The line between the boy I was and who I am today Looking back down the hall Empty frames on fading walls It was never meant to end But that was then
Fell asleep to the radio Woke singing songs I’d never heard I couldn’t put the guitar down Wrote lyrics I thought would matter
I was certain, absolutely My songs would ‘change the world’ But kids and love and music Became a weight I could not hold
And finally, one sleepless dawn I let the music go
But that was then, when now seemed far away The line between the choice I made and who I am today Looking back down the hall Empty frames on fading walls It was never meant to end But that was then
“Maybe you’re just getting old” She dismissed my fears So, I pressed ahead Ignored them, as they returned
I cannot keep pretending This is nothing when it isn’t Countless tests only showed What it wasn’t
And then I knew what it had always been… And everything was different
But that was then, when now seemed far away The line between the man I was and what I am today Looking back down the hall Empty frames on fading walls I was never meant to end But that was then
But that was then, when now seemed far away The line between my whole life and who I am today Looking back down the hall Empty frames on fading walls I was always meant to end I wish I’d known this then
Credits
Songwriter: Michael Anthony Rose