The Man I Planned To Be

[Verse 1] I remember standing on the corner With a map drawn in my head Every road looked wide open Every light was painted red I had a list of where I'd end up And who I'd be by twenty-five Funny how the years keep moving While the plans don't survive [Pre-Chorus] I chased horizons through the distance Certain I knew where they would lead [Chorus] And if that young man could see me now Would he recognize these eyes? Would he understand the reasons Some dreams faded with time? I've carried every mile between us Every scar, every memory I'm not the man I planned to be [Verse 2] Some names became old photographs Some roads vanished in the rain Some promises I couldn't keep Some lessons came with pain There were victories nobody witnessed And battles nobody knew Life kept writing different chapters Than the ones I thought I'd choose [Pre-Chorus] The years don't ask for your permission They just keep turning every page [Chorus] And if that young man could see me now Would he recognize these eyes? Would he understand the reasons Some dreams faded with time? I've carried every mile between us Every scar, every memory I'm not the man I planned to be [Bridge] Maybe he would call me broken Maybe he would call me wise Maybe he'd see all the things You can't learn until you've tried Maybe he'd forgive the failures Maybe he'd understand That growing older isn't losing It's becoming who you can [Guitar Solo] (Melodic emotional guitar solo - singing bends, sustained notes, expressive phrasing, gradual build and release) [Final Chorus] And if that young man could see me now Would he recognize these eyes? Would he understand the reasons Some dreams faded with time? I've carried every mile between us Every scar, every memory I'm not the man I planned to be [Outro] The station lights keep glowing softly The night rolls on eventually And somewhere in the distance He smiles back at me