

Prompt / Lyrics
I was the youngest, the only son Grew up in shadows while my sisters shone Put my dreams quietly on hold So they could have theirs to hold She worked three jobs to keep us fed But there were nights I wished I wasn’t there instead She said she loved me, said she was proud Still some words echo too loud She was broken, she did her best But that brokenness lives in my chest I’ve got my father’s eyes, my mother’s pain Standing alone in the pouring rain As a man, I’m told I should be tough But as her son, I’m never enough I carry love, I carry scars Trying to outrun who we are I’m still learning who I’ve become More than the shadow of anyone Thirteen candles, a truth laid bare She said I almost wasn’t there Even though she’s glad I stayed Sometimes I still feel misplaced Gave up space so they could soar Felt like the boy behind the door Played my role, stayed quiet, stayed small Learned how not to need at all I cheer for them, I mean it too But where was someone cheering for me? I’ve got my father’s eyes, my mother’s pain Trying to break this family chain As a man, I’m told don’t cry But I’ve swallowed tears my whole damn life I’ve got love, but I’m scarred by the past These shadows weren’t built to last I’m not just what they handed down I can choose who I become (intimate, reflective) I’m not the boy left behind Not just a story of sacrifice I’m a man with wounds that show Trying to forgive what I don’t know (lift, but controlled — not explosive) I’ve got my father’s eyes, my mother’s pain But I won’t live inside that rain I’m still writing, turning the page Breaking the cycle at this age I’m more than silence, more than rage More than what I had to save (soft) This inheritance ends with me
Tags
Moody cinematic ballad with swelling strings and big vocals, male
3:23
No
2/18/2026