(Intro Acoustic Guitar)
[Verse 1]
I showed up early, tried to play it cool
Rehearsed my lines like some kind of fool
Changed my shirt three times before the night
Tried to be the man I thought you’d like
I laughed too loud at every little thing
Tried to sound deeper than the songs I sing
But somewhere in the middle of that act
I felt the real me fading in the back
[Pre-Chorus]
Heart beating faster than a runaway train
Love has a way of messing with your brain
[Chorus]
It’s that impulse, rushing through my veins
Makes a steady man act a little insane
Makes me reach for words I never say
Try to be someone else anyway
But the truth cuts through like a midnight bell
You didn’t fall for the mask I sell
If love found me in my own skin
Why would I try to change again?
[Verse 2]
I almost told a story that wasn’t mine
Just to make you laugh one more time
Almost turned into somebody new
Just to keep standing next to you
But every time I tried that game
Your eyes looked right through the change
Like you were saying without a word
The honest man’s the one you heard
[Pre-Chorus]
Love gets loud like thunder in the dark
But truth is quiet in the heart
[Chorus]
It’s that impulse, pulling at my soul
Makes a careful man lose control
Makes me reach for someone I ain’t
Paint my colors with the wrong paint
But the truth cuts through like a midnight bell
You didn’t fall for the mask I sell
If love found me in my own skin
Why would I try to change again?
[Bridge]
So tonight I’m leaving all that behind
No more acting, no more disguise
If you’re still here when the lights turn low
You’ll see the man you came to know
[Final Chorus]
That impulse still runs through my veins
Love still makes a man feel strange
But I won’t fight to be someone new
The best thing I can do is to be true
And if your heart still pulls on me
Then it was always meant to be
Not with the man I tried to show
But the one you already know.