How Was I supposed to Know?

Oh, mm

He didn't walk me down those stairs
Didn't warn me 'bout them boys who wouldn't care
Didn't tell me what a real man sounds like
So I fell for the ones that lied just right

He never pulled my chair or checked my friends
Never showed me what to lose or what to defeat
So I chased love with an open wound
Looking for something I was never introduced to

Her mama did her best but she can't teach
What it feels like when a father speaks
So I took every "I love you" too deep
Even when they only meant it for a week

How was I supposed to know what love looked like?
When Daddy never showed me what felt right
How was I supposed to set the bar?
When I ain't never seen no man fight for my heart

Now, I'm learning through heartbreak piece by piece
Tryna be something, the world has been hard on me
I ain't bitter, just broken in places you can't see
How was I supposed to know, if he ain't teach me?

I thought pain was part of being chosen
If he stayed, then the hurt was worth holding
I called settling a sign of love
'Cause I ain't know a man should lift me up

And know you're beautiful just 'cause I'm his
And no, I got you when life don't make sense
So I let bare minimum feel like gold
'Cause I ain't know I deserve more to hold

Her mama raised a queen with a wounded crown
Taught me strength but I still let love drag me down
'Cause Daddy never gave me that love one on one
So I mistook lust for the real one

How was I supposed to know what love looked like?
When Daddy never showed me what felt right
How was I supposed to set the bar?
When I ain't never seen no man fight for my heart

Now, I'm learning through heartbreak piece by piece
Tryna be soft in a world that's been hard on me
Ain't bitter, just broken in places you can't see
How was I supposed to know, if he ain't teach me?

I needed arms that protected
Not ones that neglected
Needed truth without games
Real love with no pain
So now, I relearn what I missed
Unpacking Daddy wounds from every kiss
But I promise one day I'll be free
Of the love that never covered me

How was I supposed to know what love looked like?
When my first man left before I learned to fight
Now I raise my standards like prayers to the sky
For the girl I was who needed to know why

I still stumble, but now I see
The kind of love that was meant for me
And I'll teach my daughter what he couldn't show
So she'll know