YOU WON'T FEEL ME [Verse 1] You see me smiling, think I'm doing fine But you don't know what's running through my mind You see the pictures, you see the things I do But you don't know half the shit I've been through I learned to keep a lot of things inside Still show up every day and live my life Got people counting on me, dreams I gotta chase Sometimes I need a minute just to find my place Driving through Chicago, got the radio low Talking to myself where nobody knows Looking in the mirror at the man I see Wondering if anybody really understands me [Pre-Chorus] You can tell me what you think You can tell me what you'd do But it's different when the weight Is actually falling down on you [Chorus] YOU WON'T FEEL ME TILL YOU'VE WALKED A MILE IN MY SHOES YOU WON'T FEEL ME TILL YOU'VE HAD SOMETHING TO LOSE YOU CAN SEE MY FACE BUT YOU CAN'T READ MY MIND YOU CAN HEAR MY VOICE BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE I AIN'T ASKING FOR YOUR SYMPATHY I JUST WANT A LITTLE UNDERSTANDING YOU WON'T FEEL ME NO, YOU WON'T FEEL ME [Verse 2] I got a mother and a sister I wanna see alright Trying to build a better future with the time I got in life Wanna make these films, wanna let these records play Wanna spend more time with family, not just work my days away I've had people come around when everything was good Disappear when things got harder than they understood And I ain't saying everybody owes me anything I'm just learning what a genuine connection means I know I got my flaws, I know I've made mistakes Some of my hardest lessons came from choices that I made I'm working on my patience, working on my peace Trying not to let the pressure get the best of me [Pre-Chorus] You don't have to live my life You don't have to feel my pain But before you judge my journey Understand we're not the same [Chorus] YOU WON'T FEEL ME TILL YOU'VE WALKED A MILE IN MY SHOES YOU WON'T FEEL ME TILL YOU'VE HAD SOMETHING TO LOSE YOU CAN SEE MY FACE BUT YOU CAN'T READ MY MIND YOU CAN HEAR MY VOICE BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE I AIN'T ASKING FOR YOUR SYMPATHY I JUST WANT A LITTLE UNDERSTANDING YOU WON'T FEEL ME NO, YOU WON'T FEEL ME [Bridge - Stripped-Down Soul] Maybe I don't explain myself enough Maybe I get quiet when the road gets rough Maybe I don't always say what's on my chest 'Cause I'm still learning how to deal with all this stress But don't confuse my silence with having nothing to say Don't confuse my kindness with letting you have your way I DON'T NEED YOU TO FEEL EVERY SCAR OR KNOW EVERY ROAD THAT BROUGHT ME THIS FAR JUST DON'T TELL ME WHO I AM WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN And maybe one day you'll understand I'm still becoming a better man [Final Chorus - Powerful Layered Harmonies] YOU WON'T FEEL ME AND MAYBE THAT'S ALRIGHT YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW MY STRUGGLES TO RESPECT THE WAY I LIVE MY LIFE YOU WON'T FEEL ME BUT I'M STILL GONNA BE ME I GOT A FUTURE I'M BELIEVING IN AND SO MUCH MORE I WANNA SEE I'M NOT LOOKING FOR APPROVAL I'M NOT WAITING TO BE UNDERSTOOD I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE LIFE I'VE BEEN GIVEN YOU WON'T FEEL ME BUT I FEEL ME AND THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME [Outro - Soft Rhodes] Some people will understand you. Some people won't. That's life. I can't make everybody see What I see when I close my eyes. I can't make everybody understand The things I carry inside. But I know where I've been. I know what I'm working toward. And I'm not finished. YOU WON'T FEEL ME... BUT I KNOW ME.
