Started out broke with my boots on wrong
Running full tilt just to prove I was strong
They said pace yourself, I said hell no
I was young and hungry, didn’t know what I didn’t know
First miles hurt, yeah they’re supposed to
Blisters on dreams, nothing comes free
You don’t coast uphill, you don’t win half fast
If you want a future, you burn through the past
Pre-Chorus
Every win took something with it
Every gain left a mark
Didn’t see it then
But I do now, looking back from here in the dark
Chorus
Another notch in the belt, another mile gone
Another lap around this burning sun
I ran it hard, I ran it blind
Thought the finish line was the prize
But somewhere between the grind and the glory
I lost a few pages of my own story
Yeah the road gave back what it took from me
But it took me forty-three
To learn what balance means
Verse 2
I chased tomorrow like it owed me money
Missed a few dinners, said “next time, honey”
Told myself I was doing it all for us
Funny how love waits, but time doesn’t
Success got heavy, carried it proud
Didn’t hear the quiet when the house went loud
You don’t feel the cost when you’re climbing fast
Only when you stop, and do the math
Pre-Chorus
They don’t warn you about the trade-offs
They just clap when you win
But every mile you gain alone
Is a mile you don’t get again
Chorus
Another notch in the belt, another mile gone
Another lap around this burning sun
I ran it hard, I ran it blind
Thought the finish line was the prize
But somewhere between the grind and the glory
I lost a few pages of my own story
Yeah the road gave back what it took from me
But it took me forty-three
To learn what balance means
Bridge
It ain’t about slowing down
It’s knowing when to stop
It ain’t quitting on the climb
It’s learning what you’ve got
Success don’t fail you
You fail what you ignore
And I don’t need another trophy
If it costs me what I’m running for
Final Chorus
So here’s to the miles that made me
And the ones I can’t redo
Here’s to working like hell
And knowing when hell’s through
I’ll still run hard, just not alone
Still chase the dream, still drive it home
But I’ll count the wins that sit with me
Not just the ones they see
Yeah I found the truth I was missing
Right here at forty-three
The road still matters
But so does who’s riding next to me
Outro
Mile marker forty-three
Still moving
Just finally free
BrandonJamesBand
