From the recording Give'em What They Want
Here's a song about wanting to help someone who's struggling, but not really knowing just how to do that. As most of my songs do, this one just showed up. It wasn't till a few weeks later, when some things happened around me, that I sort of realized why this one showed up when it did.
Josh Hunt played drums, the rest is me.
Lyrics
If I Only Knew How (4:04)
--Patterson Barrett ©2017 (BMI) Criminal Tunes
When the world around you comes tumbling down
To crush all your dreams, you come looking for me
If I had the answer, if I knew the plan
Well I’d put all those pieces back where they belong
If I only knew how
There’d be no reason for you to struggle anymore
I’d make your trouble disappear
Your life would be softer
My love would wash your pain away
And I’d make everything OK
If I only knew how
If I only knew how
And if I had the power to change the hour
I’d turn back the clock before tragedy struck
But that can’t be done, I can’t change the outcome
But I’d give you a chance at life simple and free
If I only knew how
There’d be no reason for you to struggle anymore
I’d make your trouble disappear
Your life would be softer
My love would wash your pain away
And I’d make everything OK
If I only knew how
If I only knew how
Hold on to me
I will try and find a way
There’ll be no reason for you to struggle anymore
I’ll make your trouble disappear
Your life will be sweeter once we defeat your misery
And I’ll make everything OK
If I only knew how
If I only knew how
If I only knew how
If I only knew how