Standing Tall Again

Verse 1

Twenty-one years of heartache, twenty-one years of pain,

Livin' with your shadows, walkin' through the rain.

You took the spark right out of me, one piece at a time,

Till I couldn't recognize the man I was inside.

Verse 2

You'd buy me fancy presents with the money I had made,

Thinkin' all your damage would somehow just fade away.

You said you hated drama, told everyone around,

But every storm that hit our lives started on your ground.

Chorus

I carried all your burdens, wore chains I couldn't see,

Spent years believin' your lies were somehow part of me.

You broke me down so slowly, left scars that never mend,

But the man you tried to bury is standin' tall again.

Yeah, twenty-one years of rain couldn't wash away my soul,

Now I'm standin' in the sunlight, finally in control.

Verse 3

There were cameras in the hallways, cameras by the door,

Watchin' everybody else while you were keepin' score.

You cheated time and time again, then blamed the world instead,

Left me carryin' the weight of all the words you never said.

Verse 4

I'd forgive you by the hundred, more than most folks ever could,

Believin' that tomorrow might finally do us good.

You'd leave me in the mornin', come knockin' back by night,

And I'd open up the door again, tired of the fight.

Chorus

I carried all your burdens, wore chains I couldn't see,

Spent years believin' your lies were somehow part of me.

You broke me down so slowly, left scars that never mend,

But the man you tried to bury is standin' tall again.

Yeah, twenty-one years of rain couldn't wash away my soul,

Now I'm standin' in the sunlight, finally in control.

Bridge

I couldn't have my own friends, couldn't have a life that's mine,

Anyone who cared for me had to stand in disguise.

When you were sick, I stayed there, gave you everything I had,

But lookin' back I see now, you were takin' all I had.

You loved the praise and glory, every spotlight you could find,

While I was losin' pieces of my heart and peace of mind.

I felt like I was servin' someone who'd never set me free,

Till I realized the prison door was only locked by me.

Chorus

I carried all your burdens, but I laid them down at last,

No longer chained forever to the ghost of all that past.

You may have stole my years away, but you never took my name,

And the fire inside this man still burns just the same.

Twenty-one years of rain helped the roots grow deep and strong,

Now I'm standin' in the sunshine where I should've been all along.

Outro

Twenty-one years of pain, that's a long road to survive,

But every mile behind me proves I'm still alive.

And the best revenge ain't anger, it ain't bitterness or blame,

It's wakin' up each mornin' free from twenty-one years of rain.