The Man I should’ve Been

[Verse 1 – soft acoustic, worn vocals like smoke and gravel]
It’s tough starin’ down this reflection,
Knowin’ how far I drifted off the line.
Could’ve been a better son,
Could’ve been a man who showed up on time.
I chased things that looked like freedom,
But I never looked close enough to see…
I was runnin’ from the man
That the boy in me hoped I’d be.
[Chorus – honest, raw, no soaring notes — just truth]
It’s hard lookin’ at the man I am,
Knowin’ the man I should’ve been.
I got callouses I earned in all the wrong ways,
And a list of things I’d do different today.
But I still wake up, tryin’ to make it right,
Still carryin’ ghosts through the night.
No, I ain’t who I planned — but I still stand…
Some days holdin’ grace in these weathered hands.
[Verse 2 – reflective, but grounded]
There’s folks I let down I can’t call now,
Bridges I burned with nothin’ to prove.
And I’ve said "I’m fine" more than I should’ve,
Just to hide what I couldn’t undo.
But I’m here. I’m breathin’.
I ain’t quit — that counts for somethin’.
The man I should’ve been…
He still visits now and then.
[Bridge – quiet pause, then spoken like a vow]
I won’t waste more time lyin’ to the mirror.
What’s done is done…
But I’m still here.
[Final Chorus – layered harmony, no drama, just depth]
It’s hard lookin’ at the man I am,
Knowin’ the man I should’ve been.
But maybe these scars are how I learn,
And the shame is how I finally turn.
So I’ll keep walkin’, slow if I must,
Tryin’ to be someone that man could trust.
I ain't there yet — but I'm gettin' in range…
One honest step at a time… tryin’ to change.
[Outro – soft pick, final line nearly whispered]
I should’ve been more.
But I still might be.

Country-Folk / Acoustic Americana