(Verse 1)
October 8th, 2025, another night I can't sleep through
Got this pen in my hand, writing things I only tell the moon
Thought by now the puzzle pieces would finally all align
But I’m just 22, running out of time
I pictured skyscrapers, I pictured a clear horizon
Never thought the view would be this messy, this surprisingly frightening
They sold me a lie, a shiny, perfect, picture-book dream
Where growing up meant having everything, living life on a smooth stream.
(Chorus)
Oh, I thought growing up was fast cars and a front door key
A pocket full of cash and all the latest things for me
Instead, it's just a whisper, a worry I can't shake
24/7 pressure, for every single breath I take
I'm a graduate on paper, a hopeful with no call
Just standing at the finish line, when I haven't even started at all
I wish I could be young again, stay forever young.
Before this heavy weight arrived, before this song was sung.
(Verse 2)
The morning alarm is a siren, warning me to check my mail
Another polite decline, another day I fail
They say "Thanks, but no thanks," the inbox is a cruel, digital mirror
Reflecting all the places I'm not, making the doubt clearer.
Every success story on my feed is a tiny, little bruise
I’ve got the piece of paper, but I’ve got nothing to lose
Except my confidence, my peace, the future I had planned
Feels like I’m trying to build a castle with just a single grain of sand.
(Chorus)
Oh, I thought growing up was fast cars and a front door key
A pocket full of cash and all the latest things for me
Instead, it's just a whisper, a worry I can't shake
24/7 pressure, for every single breath I take
I'm a graduate on paper, a hopeful with no call
Just standing at the finish line, when I haven't even started at all
I wish I could be young again, stay forever young.
Before this heavy weight arrived, before this song was sung.
(Bridge)
To trade the bills for bike rides, the stress for sticky floors
To not know the meaning of a closed, indifferent door
Just for a minute, maybe less, to be carefree and small
And not be worried 24/7 about achieving it all.
(Outro)
Forever young, that's the only prayer I know
Forever young, before the seeds of worry start to grow
Just 22, and unsettled.
Just 22, and unsettled.
