He was just a kid, young, stupid, and reckless
But he had a dream, just like the rest of us
To see the world with his guitar in hand
To sign autographs for screaming fans

He grew up ten years too fast
He saw the real world in a ten second flash
Its claws and its vices pulling him in
But he’s not ready yet, he’s still just a kid

He’s barely lived for a decade,
But his heart and mind have aged much older
He’s forced to live like an adult
And brush the dirt off of his shoulder
And while he focuses on his mother
While her disease is running wild
He’ll spend so much time taking care
He’ll never get to be a child

A few years older now, but not a single thing has changed
Sixteen, the kids are mean, and he’s feeling a bit deranged
He puts his earbuds in and makes his way down through the halls
But it’s not enough, he still feels trapped outside these castle walls
Lap after lap in the moat, alone in desperation
It’s like no one cares and all he seems to have is isolation
He was never one to fit in and now it’s more than ever
He begins to wonder if his life has meaning whatsoever

But if anyone will ask him he’ll tell ‘em “Don’t worry, I’m doing great”
They’ll never know about his troubles and all of his pain

He goes into his room after a long day of school
Throws his bag on the floor and slams his door
Picks up his guitar and puts it on
His amp heats up with a delightful roar
With every single note he plays
He falls further and further into his dreams
And just for a moment, everything is okay
His problems and troubles seem to fade away

You see, for him, music was his heroin
Addicting, amazing, but it couldn’t harm him
It was heaven, cloud nine, a distraction he adored
To keep him from thinking what the world had in store
It was more than a dream, much more than passion
Much more than a kid who wears band tee’s for fashion
Music is a friend, the stars in the skies
And it’ll be with him ‘till the day that he dies

But like any other dream he had to face some road blocks
The day that he’ll never forget when him and his dad had a talk
Much unlike his son who had the drive to do it all
His father played it safe and never risked taking the fall

“I don’t know why you bother” he said with a sigh
“You don’t know what you’re doing , you’re out your damn mind
You can drive around the country living out of a van
Playing shows and drinking with your stupid little band
But one day it’ll end, and you’ll have to grow up
Get a job and pay bills, just like the rest of us
So focus on school, clear your mind of your strife
And do something worth something for once in your life”

“That’s it!” his son yelled, “This is where my foot hits the ground
How dare you try to choose what I revolve my life around
Doctor this, lawyer that, when are you gonna see?
I’ll never live up to what you want me to be
I know what I’m getting into, it ain’t gonna be easy
I’ll be out on my own, and maybe it’ll be good for me
I’ll finish school, I’ll do my work, but I hope one day you’ll see
All the knowledge in the world won’t always make a man happy”

And with that, he stood up, walked away with his pride
Left the room, where his dad sat with tears in his eyes
His mind was made up, there’s no stopping him now
He packed up his bags, took one last look around
Walked right out the door, saw the van in his driveway
Put a smile on his face because today was his day
‘cause he knows in his heart, he knows in his mind
Music’s the only thing keeping him alive