[Intro]
Em       Am
I’m not a priest
    Em        A
so why would the least
Em        Am
absolution come from your
C    Am
confessing reflexes
C        A
to lash out more reckless?
A        A    C
Thanks for saving your worst, I guess.
A    A        Em
Am I supposed to be grateful?
Am        A        C
Or just on my toes for next time?

[Verse 2]
Em       Am
There’s nothing fun
Em        A
about a martyr. Run,
Em        Am
said the voices. I stayed.
C        Am
I knew you were fighting
C        A
for better mood lighting
A    A        C
so hope kept me there; now I’d say:
    A    A        Em
staying doesn’t make me deserve this
Am        A        C
and all your suffering’s no excuse

[Chorus]
      Em         Em        A
And I am not collateral damage
Am      Am        E
I will not be your punching bag
Em    Em            E
Next time you swing without thinking
A    A        Em
find your own clean-up rag


[Verse 3]
Em       Am
Wish I could say
Em        A
I left the first time
Em        Am
you hurt me on purpose, and yet
C        Am
I x-rayed your pain
 C        A
I contorted my brain
A    A        C
for why it was never your fault
A    A        Em
Desperate to believe in getting better
Am        A            C
I’d known black holes and couldn’t go back

[Chorus]
 Em         Em        A
But I am not collateral damage
Am      Am        E
I will not be your punching bag
Em    Em            E
Next time you swing without thinking
A        A        Em
you can find your own clean-up rag
A        A        Em
I can’t last another crying jag

[Verse 4]
Em        Am
Anxious, you’d snap
Em            A
out of weed you’d collapse
Em        Am
wait for me to haul you upright.
C        Am
Core of kindness, a giver
C        A
aspirational quitter
A    A            C
of this world, self-loathing so bright.
A        A        Em
Pushed me away cause I held you.
Am        A        C
How does a hot air balloon cut ties?

[Bridge]
Am            C
But you know that I forgive
C    C    Am
and give and give and give
Am            C         Am
But turns out when I sang I Would Die 4 U
Am    Am        Am         G
that didn’t mean I’d let you crush me

[Chorus]
Am    Am    Am    G
(So here’s my spine, I’ll say) (tune of IWD4U)
Em        Em    A
I am not collateral damage
Am        Am        E
I will not be your punching bag
Em        Em        E
Next time you swing without thinking
A      A        Em
find your own clean-up rag

[Outro]
Em        Em    E
I hope that somewhere you’re healing
    A        A    Em
but I won’t pay the price tag