From the recording Sleeping with Ghost, Vol. 1
“Two Steps Back” captures the slow ache of emotional recovery — that liminal space after a breakup when you’re no longer in love, but not yet whole. With a minimalist mix of acoustic guitar and atmospheric synths, Ryland Fisher crafts a heartache ballad that feels intimate, timeless, and deeply relatable. It’s the sound of moving forward while still looking back — a quiet, cinematic portrait of healing in progress.
Lyrics
Every morning when I wake up
I ain’t thinking ‘bout you
Then I pour a cup of coffee
At a kitchen table for two
And it’s one more reminder
Of the best damn thing I ever had
And it’s one step forward
And two steps back
Then I’ll shake you off my mind
Get lost somewhere in the day
And make it through the hours
Till it’s 5 o'clock someplace
And I’ll buy the bar a round
Your song comes on, and just like that
I’m one step forward
And two steps back
To another time, one more time retracing who we used to be
Replaying the same damn broken record rewinding on repeat
On my way to moving on, but sure as hell ain’t getting there fast
I’m always one step forward
And two steps back
Ain’t always in the right direction
Now and then I fall along the way
Stuck in some old memory
I’m still waiting on time to fade
These miles only getting longer
Wish these wheels would stay on track
For every one step forward
I’m two steps back
To another time, one more time retracing who we used to be
Replaying the same damn broken record rewinding on repeat
On my way to moving on, but sure as hell ain’t getting there fast
Goodbye don’t come with a map
So it’s always one step forward
And two steps back
Yeah for every one step forward
I’m two steps back