In another universe I said yes to you Took that job in Tokyo, saw it all come true In another timeline I was brave enough To speak my mind when silence wasn't enough There's a version of me living by the sea Writing novels that will never be And another one who stayed in our hometown Never let the fear bring her down All the roads I didn't take All the chances I didn't make Parallel lives, parallel lives Running beside me like ghosts in the night Parallel lives, parallel lives Showing me everything that could've been right In one I'm fearless, in one I'm free In one I'm exactly who I'm meant to be Parallel lives, parallel lives Why can't I live them all at the same time? Sometimes I wake up and I swear I can see The girl who moved to New York City She's got paint under her fingernails Living all the dreams that my courage failed There's a mother in a white picket fence Who chose love over independence And a wanderer with a backpack soul Who never needed anyone to make her whole All the doors I didn't walk through All the dreams I didn't pursue Parallel lives, parallel lives Running beside me like ghosts in the night Parallel lives, parallel lives Showing me everything that could've been right In one I'm fearless, in one I'm free In one I'm exactly who I'm meant to be Parallel lives, parallel lives Why can't I live them all at the same time? But what if this is the life I was meant to choose? What if every mistake was a clue? Leading me to this moment, this place, this now Maybe I don't need to figure out how All those other mes might be looking back At this life I have and the things I lack Maybe in their world, I'm the one who got away The path they wish they'd taken every day Parallel lives, parallel lives Dancing around me but I'm standing still Parallel lives, parallel lives Maybe it's time I stopped running uphill In this one I'm learning, in this one I'm real In this one I'm exactly what I need to feel Parallel lives, parallel lives This is the only one that's truly mine Let the other lives fade into the light I choose this story, I choose this fight Parallel lives can keep running by This is the one where I finally fly
