Verse 1
Yeah…
I was raised by contradictions and a code of isolation,
Where a man was measured only by his work and dedication.
No discussion of emotions, no expression, no relation,
Just suppression after pressure till it turned into frustration.
Now I’m staring at the mirror seeing pieces of my past,
Trying to separate the man I am from shadows that still last.
Every habit, every reflex, every lesson built to mask,
Got me wondering if I’m healing or just hiding in the cracks.
See, I don’t wanna be my father, that’s a truth I can’t disguise,
Not the distance, not the silence, not the hurt behind his eyes.
Not the words that went unspoken, not the bridges left to die,
Not the feeling of a family learning how to just survive.
Chorus
Oh-oh, I’m breaking chains I didn’t forge myself,
Putting down the pain and reaching for some help.
Even when I’m scared and every weakness gets exposed,
I’m becoming someone stronger than the man I used to know.
Oh-oh, every scar is part of who I’ve been,
But I won’t let it decide who I become within.
One honest conversation, one more wall that falls,
And a better man keeps rising when he falls.
Verse 2
My grandfather was a giant though he’d never claim the throne,
Had a strength that didn’t need intimidation to be shown.
He could listen, he could guide you, make you feel you weren’t alone,
That’s the kind of man I picture when I’m wondering who I’ve grown.
He was steady through the chaos, he was dignity and grace,
The kind of presence in a room that made the darkness lose its place.
If a hero wore a face, then every memory I trace,
Takes me back to him and every lesson time can’t erase.
When I think about my future and the father I should be,
I don’t measure it in money, reputation, legacy.
I just hope my kids remember that they always could reach me,
That their feelings had a home and they were safe emotionally.
Now I’m learning how to speak when every instinct says be still,
How to trust another person when the fear is standing still.
How to tell the truth imperfectly instead of hiding guilt,
‘Cause a stronger man is built from every bridge he’s brave enough to build.
Bridge
I’m afraid of saying wrong things, that’s the battle in my head,
Every sentence feels like walking where I’ve always feared to tread.
But silence never healed me, it just left me full of dread,
So I’d rather stumble forward than keep living with regret.
Outro
So I’m changing family patterns, rewriting what remains,
Turning hurt into a purpose, turning losses into gains.
My father’s story shaped me, but it doesn’t own my name,
And my grandfather still guides me every time I choose to change.
I’m becoming who I needed when I was a younger man,
Learning strength is being honest, not pretending that you can.
And if someday my kids ask me what I stood for in the end,
I hope they say he loved us, and he always tried again.
