THE LESSON NEVER LEARNED [Verse 1] You wear your scars like medals, Tell your stories like they're gold. You've got a thousand tales of hardship, And every damn one's getting old. You say you've walked through fire, You say you've paid your dues. But you keep striking matches, Then complain about the fumes. [Pre-Chorus] You can live a hundred lifetimes, Watch a thousand bridges burn. But experience means nothing If there's nothing you have learned! [Chorus — Big, gritty, gang vocals] LIVED EXPERIENCE! You shout it from the stage! Like suffering's a license To excuse your foolish ways! You can preach it from the rooftops, You can scream until you're blue. But the lesson never learned Says more about you! Oh, the lesson never learned... Is a fire that keeps on burning, And the fool just keeps returning! [Verse 2] You talk about compassion, While you're sharpening your knife. Claim you know what people need 'Cause you've lived a troubled life. But when somebody's drowning, You just lecture from the shore. Tell 'em how you learned to swim, While they sink a little more. [Pre-Chorus] Wisdom ain't a title, And pain ain't proof you're right. You can stumble through the darkness And still refuse the light! [Chorus] LIVED EXPERIENCE! You shout it from the stage! Like suffering's a license To excuse your foolish ways! You can preach it from the rooftops, You can scream until you're blue. But the lesson never learned Says more about you! [Bridge — Music drops, smoky spoken vocals] Some folks come out humble. Some folks come out mean. Some folks spend their whole damn lives Blaming everything they've seen. But here's the little secret That your ego can't discern... Going through the fire Don't mean a damn thing... IF YOU NEVER LEARN! [Instrumental — Dirty slide guitar, pounding piano] [Final Chorus — Full band, gang vocals answering] LIVED EXPERIENCE! (So what'd you learn?) ANOTHER BRIDGE IS BURNING! (Watch it burn!) You keep demanding respect That you never seem to earn! You can polish up your story, Put your suffering on display. But if you never change your ways, It's just yesterday on replay! [Outro — Slow, wicked grin in the voice] You say you've learned your lessons... Funny, I can't tell. You've been through hell and back again... And brought the matches home as well. [Final guitar sting] Class dismissed.
