[Intro – Haunting clean guitar arpeggio, distant feedback] [Verse 1 – Fragile, raspy male voice] I kept a photograph beneath my bed Of all the things I thought I'd be The years went by, the colors faded But that boy still looks like me I learned to smile with shaking hands To say I'm fine when I was breaking I gave the world the best I had And watched it take without explaining [Pre-Chorus – Rising emotion] If I could hold my younger self tonight I'd tell him we survived... [Chorus – Explosive, soaring, emotional clean vocals] EVEN IF MY HANDS ARE SHAKING I WILL HOLD TOMORROW CLOSE EVEN IF MY VOICE IS BREAKING I'LL SING FOR WHAT I ALMOST LOST AND WHEN THE WORLD STOPS BELIEVING WHEN THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SEE I'LL KEEP MY PROMISE TO THE BOY WHO STILL BELIEVES IN ME [Post-Chorus – Harmonized lead guitars] [Verse 2 – Raspy, aggressive with melodic screams] I've buried dreams in empty rooms I've watched the people I love leave And every road I thought would save me Led me somewhere I couldn't breathe But there's a fire beneath the silence A little light I couldn't drown And every time I tried to quit That younger voice would call me out [Pre-Chorus – Voice cracking] I hear him asking through the years Did we become what we believed? [Chorus – Full intensity] EVEN IF MY HANDS ARE SHAKING I WILL HOLD TOMORROW CLOSE EVEN IF MY VOICE IS BREAKING I'LL SING FOR WHAT I ALMOST LOST AND WHEN THE WORLD STOPS BELIEVING WHEN THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SEE I'LL KEEP MY PROMISE TO THE BOY WHO STILL BELIEVES IN ME [Bridge – Music drops, trembling spoken rasp] I'm sorry for the years I wasted For every dream I left behind For all the times I called us hopeless When we were only running out of light [Raw emotional scream] I NEVER STOPPED BELIEVING! [Breakdown – Crushing half-time riffs, double kick] I AM NOT MY GREATEST FAILURE! I AM MORE THAN WHAT I'VE LOST! YOU CAN TAKE EVERYTHING I BUILT! BUT NOT THE REASON THAT I FOUGHT! [Extended emotional twin-guitar solo – Melodic, soaring, unforgettable] [Final Chorus – Massive, vulnerable, voice cracking] EVEN IF MY HANDS ARE SHAKING I WILL HOLD TOMORROW CLOSE EVEN IF MY VOICE IS BREAKING I'LL SING FOR WHAT I ALMOST LOST AND IF MY HEART KEEPS BREAKING LET IT BREAK AND STILL BELIEVE I'LL KEEP MY PROMISE TO THE BOY WHO NEVER GAVE UP ON ME [Outro – Return to original clean guitar melody] [Quiet, raspy, almost whispered] I haven't made it... Not just yet... But if you're still in there... I'm not finished dreaming. [Final sustained guitar note] [End]
