When I get to you, no I won't forget What it took and takes, by the book and breaks By the crate and limb, by the state I'm in By the skin of my teeth took it on the chin I was up for it, "yep" more than "no" I was down for the cause and you ought to know Spent all day on it at work and then brought it home Something like an addiction, never fought it though Got a debt to the stars, debt to the gutter A debt to the bars, debt for the wisdom That I will discard, you can bet I'll do it In the future as I have in the past All of it has scarred me but I'm still here Through the imperfections that interfered Feeling like a thief, stole a whole career Wanna know? Let me lend your ear I had to go about it, ride it out and find it myself And there's some stories I can tell you I had to fail, had to fall just for what I did well And there's some stories I can tell you Don't get it twisted though I don't wanna blink and then miss its glow Get choked and saved by the same rope By the time you hear this you already know Dear future me, nothing you can do for me Sorry you are not what you used to be Whatever you've got is news to me What I handed you wasn't handled beautifully but it's done Tainted blood cells and bad ankles I did damage that was substantial The body's a temple but I am a vandal That could not live life at a standstill I'm unapologetic of my path But by the time you're me it's all of your past Hope you remember this when you're falling apart If not I wrote down a few remarks I had to go about it, ride it out and find it myself And there's some stories I can tell you I had to fail, had to fall just for what I did well And there's some stories I can tell you You've got to go about it You're going to ride it out You're going to know about it You're going to let it out You've got to go about it You're going to ride it out You're going to know about it You're going to let it out Bet it all on the vocal chords Reassure the in-laws, good lord You're girl's in safe hands we're making great plans That we will make sense one day Maybe when I'm grey, if this can pay into old age? Someone get that granddad down off stage Hey kids, your gramps never drank kool-aid In his own time did it with a few failed greats But what? Worse the story, better the redemption Worse the quandary, better the retention I ain't breezing and I ain't George Benson I ain't protected brother I ain't fenced in If my future questions my current senses That'd be the same we've been doing for centuries So sorry if I ran it to empty I wrote this so you know what I meant here I had to go about it, ride it out and find it myself And there's some stories I can tell you I had to fail, had to fall just for what I did well And there's some stories I can tell you