[INTRO – SPOKEN] [BUBBA] Well… I’ve blamed a lot of things in my life. The road. The bottle. Bad luck. Other people. But one morning… I looked in the mirror. And there he was. [DARLENE] Who? [BUBBA] The fellow I couldn’t blame anymore. [HARMONICA – slow blues lick] [VERSE 1 – BUBBA] There’s a man in the mirror Who knows where I’ve been, He knows all my secrets, He remembers my sins. He knows every promise I promised and broke, Every hard word, Every lie that I spoke. I’ve spent half my lifetime Pointing my hand, Saying, “Somebody else Ought to understand.” But the mirror kept telling me Something was true: Before I could change the world, I had to change me too. [VERSE 2 – DARLENE] You can’t blame the bottle For every mistake, You can’t blame the devil For every choice you make. You can’t blame the road For the places you go, Sometimes the hardest truth Is the truth that you know. But don’t let that truth Turn your heart into stone, Don’t stare at your past Like you’re standing alone. If you can face what you’ve done And surrender your pride, There can still be mercy Waiting inside. [CHORUS – BOTH] There’s a man in the mirror, And he’s looking at me. He’s carrying yesterday, But tomorrow is free. He ain’t perfect, He ain’t clean, But he’s learning what grace really means. So I’ll quit running, I’ll quit hiding, I’ll let the Lord lead me. There’s a man in the mirror, And for once… I’m willing to see. [YODEL – BUBBA] Yodel-ay-ee… Yodel-ay-oh… [DARLENE] Look him in the eye. [YODEL – BUBBA] Yodel-ay-ee… Don’t run away. [VERSE 3 – BUBBA] I’ve known the inside Of a bottle too well, I’ve known the dark places Where a man’s soul can dwell. I’ve known what it feels like To wake up ashamed, To wonder if anybody Will trust you again. I’ve walked through some years That I wouldn’t repeat, But I’ve learned there’s a difference Between defeat and defeat. You can fall down Without staying down, You can lose your way And still turn around. [VERSE 4 – DARLENE] And if you have wounded The ones that you love, You may have some work That forgiveness can’t solve. You can’t demand it, You can’t make it appear, Sometimes rebuilding Takes many a year. But start with the truth, Then start with today. Let every good action Show what words cannot say. A changed heart ain’t proven By what a man claims, It’s proven by walking A different old way. [HARMONICA SOLO – BUBBA] [OLD-TIME BLUES HARMONICA SOLO] [BRIDGE – SPOKEN / GOSPEL RESPONSE] [BUBBA] Lord… I don’t want to blame anybody anymore. [DARLENE] Then give Him the truth. [BUBBA] Even the ugly parts? [DARLENE] Especially the ugly parts. [BUBBA] Even the things I wish I’d never done? [DARLENE] He already knows. [BUBBA] Then I reckon there’s nothing left to hide. [BOTH] That’s where freedom begins. [VERSE 5 – BUBBA] So I stood in that mirror And looked at my face, And I saw an old man Still looking for grace. Not the kind you can buy, Not the kind you pretend, But the kind that can take A broken man and mend. I said, “Lord, if You want me, I’m standing right here. I’ve wasted some years, But I’ve still got this year. I can’t change the past, But I’ll give You today, And I’ll walk where You lead me, One step of the way.” [CHORUS – BOTH] There’s a man in the mirror, And he’s looking at me. He’s carrying yesterday, But tomorrow is free. He ain’t perfect, He ain’t clean, But he’s learning what grace really means. So I’ll quit running, I’ll quit hiding, I’ll let the Lord lead me. There’s a man in the mirror, And for once… I’m willing to see. [YODEL – BOTH] Yodel-ay-ee… Yodel-ay-oh… [BUBBA] Face the truth— [DARLENE] And let it go. [BOTH] Yodel-ay-ee… Yodel-ay-ay… Walk the road you know. [FINAL VERSE – BOTH] [BUBBA] Now when I see that old man, I don’t have to hate him. [DARLENE] You can learn from him. [BUBBA] I don’t have to praise him. [DARLENE] Just don’t become him again. [BUBBA] I’ll take his lessons— [DARLENE] And leave his chains. [BOTH] We’ll take the sunshine After all those rains. [FINAL CHORUS – FULL] There’s a man in the mirror, And he’s finally free. He’s still got some work, But he’s learning to see. He’s got scars, He’s got stories, He’s got miles left to go. And the Lord’s gonna use him More than he’ll ever know. There’s a man in the mirror, And I’m thankful he’s here. He survived all those years, And he made it back here. No more running, No more hiding, No more living in fear. The man in the mirror Is finally standing here. [FINAL YODEL] Yodel-ay-ee… Yodel-ay-oh… [BUBBA] Still standing… [DARLENE] Still learning… [BOTH] Still here. [OUTRO – SPOKEN] [BUBBA] Darlene? [DARLENE] Yes? [BUBBA] I don’t think I like that man in the mirror very much. [DARLENE] Why not? [BUBBA] He looks like he’s gonna make me work. [DARLENE] Good. [BUBBA] Why’s that good? [DARLENE] Because you’re building something. [HARMONICA – warm blues ending] [BUBBA] Well… I reckon I’ll get started. [YODEL – SOFT
