Lyrics

(Verse 1)
Seems like everything’s fine, doesn’t it?
I’m smiling in the photograph, hiding every bit.
Yes, I was happy, or trying to be,
Finding joy in the moment, though it wasn’t easy.

Third grade, a new school, trying to fit in,
New faces, new fears, and walls wearing thin.
I tried to be perfect, obedient, and right,
But inside, I was braced for the fight.

(Chorus)
Behind the smile, there’s a story untold,
The laughter, the longing, the dreams that I hold.
Behind the smile, a past I outgrew,
With each step I’ve taken, I learned what was true.

(Verse 2)
They say, “What could happen at only eight?”
But you’d be surprised at the weight on my plate.
I wanted to trust, smiled at everyone,
Mom said, “Not all are good under the sun.”

By sixth grade, I’d learned she was right,
The world can be heavy, some people aren’t kind.
But still, I’d smile, even if it would fade,
It’s all part of the life that I made.

(Chorus)
Behind the smile, there’s a story untold,
The laughter, the longing, the dreams that I hold.
Behind the smile, a past I outgrew,
With each step I’ve taken, I learned what was true.

(Bridge)
Now, I’m grown, but time moves fast,
I handle my problems, leave fears in the past.
Yet I look back on those innocent days,
The weight I felt, and the games that we’d play.
These photos remind me, they carry the truth,
Of moments I struggled, of pieces of youth.

(Chorus)
Behind the smile, there’s a story untold,
The laughter, the longing, the dreams that I hold.
Behind the smile, a past I outgrew,
With each step I’ve taken, I learned what was true.

(Outro)
So here’s to the memories, the courage, the pain,
The girl in the picture who’d do it again.
No matter the story, no matter the scars,
I keep moving forward, healing my heart.