I Loved You While You Were Leaving · Track 05
For when they wanted connection as long as it never became deep enough to require them to stay.
Inside this song
Why did they want me close until the relationship started becoming real?
Someone can want connection and still struggle with the vulnerability that deeper intimacy requires. Their retreat doesn’t mean you needed to become easier, quieter, or less emotionally invested to make the relationship work.
“Love isn’t scary when it’s shallow and safe, It only gets heavy when it asks you to stay”
For when you realize they weren’t necessarily running from connection, they were keeping it shallow enough that leaving would never cost too much.
Read the full storyLyric sheet
Verse 1 You were good at almost Good at just enough Knew exactly how to keep me Right outside of love You’d pull me in like you meant it Then disappear for space Call it “taking it slow” But you just feared the weight
Pre-Chorus You’d say you didn’t want to lose me But never tried to stay Held me like I mattered Then let me slip away
Chorus You keep it low stakes So you don’t have to break Or risk something real Or feel what you feel You’d rather reset Find someone new instead Than sit in the ache Of something high stakes You don’t fight for connection You just keep your escape It’s easier to leave When it’s always low stakes
Verse 2 You’re chasing something easy Something you can control Where no one asks for answers No one gets too close You say you want something real But real requires truth And truth is where you lose it When it starts needing you
Pre-Chorus You call it “bad timing” Or say it’s just not right But it’s not about the moment You just don’t know how to fight
Chorus You keep it low stakes So you don’t have to break Or risk something real Or feel what you feel You’d rather reset Find someone new instead Than sit in the ache Of something high stakes You don’t fight for connection You just keep your escape It’s easier to leave When it’s always low stakes
Bridge You didn’t lose me ‘cause it wasn’t right You lost me ‘cause you couldn’t try Love isn’t scary when it’s shallow and safe It only gets heavy when it asks you to stay And I would’ve stayed through the hard and the weight But you only show up when it’s low stakes
Final Chorus You kept it low stakes So you wouldn’t break But you broke something real Avoiding what you feel Now you’re back again Like it never meant Anything to replace Or something to face But I’m not your option I’m not your escape You don’t get forever When you choose low stakes
About the song
For when they wanted connection as long as it never became deep enough to require them to stay.
The story behind
"Low Stakes" is about realizing that some people don't avoid love because they don't feel it. They avoid it because they do. This song is about someone who always keeps one foot out the door. Someone who wants connection, as long as it doesn't require vulnerability, accountability, or the possibility of getting hurt. They'll invest just enough to keep you hopeful, but never enough to build something lasting.
For a long time, I thought if I was patient enough, understanding enough, or loved deeply enough, eventually they'd choose the relationship over their fear. Instead, I realized they weren't protecting themselves from me. They were protecting themselves from depth.
I wrote this song because I finally understood that avoiding pain also means avoiding intimacy. Real love asks us to stay through uncomfortable conversations, uncertainty, conflict, and growth. But if someone is always looking for the easiest exit, they'll never experience the kind of love they're searching for.
The line, "You keep it low stakes so you don't have to break," became the heart of the song. Because the relationship wasn't ending because it lacked potential. It ended because one person was willing to risk everything for something real, while the other was committed to never risking themselves at all. This song isn't about wishing they had fought harder. It's about realizing I deserve someone who believes love is worth fighting for.
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