[Intro — Sparse acoustic guitar, distant electric guitar ambience] [Verse 1] I've spent my life with my head down low Walking roads that I didn't choose Kept my heart in a locked-up room With nothing left I could stand to lose Then you came like a midnight storm All wild eyes and a restless soul You didn't ask me to change my ways You just made me want to let them go [Pre-Chorus — Low, restrained vocal, drums slowly building] I'd been living like a man half-dead With a thousand things I never said [Chorus — Full drums, gritty electric guitars, powerful raw vocal] I was born to break free But I buried the fire inside of me Built my walls, nailed the doors Swore I'd never need nothing more Then you reached through the smoke and flame Never once tried to change my name Now there's nothing left I need to hide You put the wild back in my eyes I was born to break free, free, free And you brought me back to me [Instrumental — Gritty electric guitar, pounding toms] [Verse 2] I've seen good women turn their hearts to stone Watched true love leave without goodbye Seen a thousand suns go sinking down While the years went running by I got real good at standing alone Made a religion of being tough But a heart can survive a thousand storms And still not know what it means to love [Pre-Chorus — Building intensity] I thought being strong meant never falling Never hearing my own heart calling [Chorus — Bigger, rawer vocal, heavier guitars] I was born to break free But I buried the fire inside of me Built my walls, nailed the doors Swore I'd never need nothing more Then you reached through the smoke and flame Never once tried to change my name Now there's nothing left I need to hide You put the wild back in my eyes I was born to break free, free, free And you brought me back to me [Bridge — Music drops to a single acoustic guitar] If tomorrow takes the road away If the sky falls down and the ground gives way I'd rather burn with a heart wide open Than live one more day with my spirit broken [Pause — One breath, then the band slams back in] [Final Chorus — Explosive drums, distorted guitars, fierce vocal] I was born to break free There's a wild old heartbeat inside of me No more chains, no more lies No more watching this life pass me by Let the thunder roll, let the heavens shake Let the whole damn world see the mess I make I've got one life and it's mine to live And I've got a whole lot of love to give I was born to break free, free, free Yeah, you brought me back to me [Outro — Instruments fall away, vocal almost spoken] I was never lost... Just forgot I was free. [Final electric guitar note rings out and fades]
