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INTRO — SPOKEN, PIANO]
I know you probably don't recognize me
Hell, truth is, I barely recognize me either
But I remember you like yesterday
Twenty-something, thinking you had forever
VERSE 1 — OLDER SELF
You had a girl you'd swear you'd die beside
A circle full of friends, nothing to hide
Good job, nice car, money in your pocket
Thought the world was yours, thought you had it all figured out
You weren't scared of tomorrow
You were damn near excited for it
You took advantage of love
Hated sleeping, couldn't wait to wake up
You'd laugh till your stomach hurt
Stay out till the sun came up
You had no idea how good you had it
Back then, good was never good enough
PRE-CHORUS
When did I become someone I don't know?
How'd my dreams turn into regrets I can't let go?
I've been searching for the kid I was before
Scared he'd see me now and not recognize me anymore
CHORUS 1 — MELODIC
I'm still here, after everything
Broken pieces, trying to find the rest of me
Fighting the world, but my worst enemy's within
Scared the man I am is all I've ever been
If that kid could see me now
Would he turn around and leave?
Would he hate the man I've become
Or would he be proud of me?
VERSE 2 — OLDER SELF
Now look at me, an addict staying clean
Living paycheck to paycheck, chasing down a dream
Broken heart I still don't know how to mend
Lost people I thought I'd have until the end
Fighting courtrooms, fighting ghosts
Fighting family, fighting to keep my kids close
Going toe to toe with everyone I know
Guess that's just the way it is, the way it goes
Some nights I'm scared I'm gonna die alone
Every time somebody leaves
I think that's all I'll ever know
BEAT SWITCH
VERSE 3 — YOUNGER SELF
So that's what happened to us?
That's what all those years became?
Lost the girl you loved
Somewhere along the way, forgot your name?
You said tomorrow never scared you
Now you're carrying all this pain
But we're not finished yet
And I think there's something left to gain
You said that you have kids
I might not have your wisdom yet
But I know why you gotta rise
And give them a better life than this
VERSE 4 — BUILDING INTENSITY
We're still the same person
I'd bet my life you love your girls more than Earth
You'd give your whole life up
Just to know they'd never hurt
That sounds like a superhero to me
Someone I might wanna be
But if I want something in this life
I've gotta earn it, nothing's free
Bridges I gotta burn
Places I gotta be
People I gotta meet
Lessons I need to teach my seed
Maybe it'll all be worth it
Maybe I'm young and dumb
But if you don't sacrifice for something
You don't deserve what you've become
BRIDGE — PIANO ONLY
I'm sorry for the things that we'll go through
But I don't hear a loser when I listen to you
I hear somebody still fighting
And I'm proud of myself
If that's all I'll ever do
You said you're an addict, but you're still here
You said you're broke, but you're still trying
Your heart's broken, you're tired of lying
Yet somehow you still find reasons to give love
PRE-CHORUS 2 — BUILDING
You think I'm disappointed
You didn't become who I thought you'd be
I was just a kid who thought
Life would happen like a dream
FINAL CHORUS — FULL POWER
You think you let me down
But you don't know what I see
You survived the things I never thought that I could be
If growing up means learning
How to hurt and still believe
Maybe you're the man I needed
Though you're not the man I dreamed
If nobody's proud of you
Then let me be the first
You turned your pain into a reason
To protect the ones you love from hurt
You're not everything I pictured
But you're more than you can see
And if I grow up to become you
I hope you're proud of me
OUTRO — SPOKEN, PIANO
I had the friends
I had the girl
I had the car
I had the youth
But you got something I never had
You know what it means to lose
You can't have happy without sad
Without struggle, you'll never learn
If nobody's told you they're proud of you...
I'll be proud to be the first.

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