Before I Knew Your Name (A Song for My Children)
Thelma
Neo-Soul R&B
About
A tender neo-soul R&B fusion track evoking a mother's boundless love for her children. At 78 BPM with a gentle swaying half-time shuffle groove, it blends soul's syncopated bass lines and gospel-inspired harmonies with R&B's smooth, bass-driven pulse. Female vocals deliver emotional, melismatic expressions over lush yet sparse instrumentation: Rhodes electric piano and Hammond organ swells, fingerstyle upright bass, brushed drums, breathy muted trumpet, acoustic guitar strums, and ambient synth pads. Production emphasizes analog warmth with tape saturation, natural reverb, and dynamic restraint for live-band intimacy. Structure builds from sparse intro to emotional peaks and reflective bridge, fading into a warm sustain, clocking ~180 seconds.
Lyrics
Before I knew your face before I felt your skin I loved you like a secret beating deep within Before the world could see you before you even came I whispered to the heavens and called you by no name I lie awake at midnight hand upon my chest Praying I would live long to give you all my best I loved you before I knew you before your first small cry I feared the dark would take me and leave you asking why Who would hold your tiny hands if I was called away So I fought for every sunrise and begged the Lord to let me stay I feared the silent future, the things I couldn't see Would I live to watch you grow strong and brave and free Would I die for you to love me the way you love me Would I hide your broken heart would I see your dreams come true Or would I leave too early with unfinished love for you Every fever every cough every restless night I held my breath in terror and held you twice as tight I loved you before I knew you before you spoke my name I promised God in, I'd shelter you from pain If my breath was ever taken before my work was done I prayed he'd send an angel to finish what I'd begun Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Before I Knew Your Name (A Song for My Children)
Thelma
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