The Me I’ll Never Lead

Lyrics

(Verse 1) Got a lifted diesel frame that shakes the dust up on the road, Playin' George Strait loud enough to lighten up the load. Another day, another dollar in this worn-out working game. Nod my head and say "what's up" to the same old morning crew, Got the part down perfect, know exactly what to do. Yeah, they talk about the price of fuel, the chances of some rain, Anything to quiet down the thunder in my brain. (Verse 2) But there's a moment in the morning, before I turn the key, Staring at a stranger who looks a whole lot like me. He's got a different kind of fire burning in his eyes, Full of unsaid theories and some silent goodbyes. He's got a rebel's playlist that he only plays on low, And a silhouette that nobody gets to know. (Chorus) I'm a fortress built of iron, on a foundation made of glass, Got a hurricane heart that's beating way too fast. And it's a tough and lonely truth, but it's the only one I need, The world keeps turning 'round a man they think they understand, But the only one who knows me is the me I'll never lead. (Verse 3) I used to treat my heart like a battleground inside, Two different armies with nowhere left to hide. One was made of concrete, the other made of glass, Just praying that the whole damn thing would never crack. But the thunder in my brain is starting to sound more like a song, And I'm wondering if both these people are where I belong. (Verse 4) And yeah, I'll admit I daydream in a different kind of light, Wonder what it feels like to not always have to fight. To let that silhouette step out from in the shade, Not just be a secret that the morning mirror made. It's a wish I'll never act on, a door I'll never use, But you gotta love the parts of you you'd never really choose. (Chorus) I'm a fortress built of iron, on a foundation made of glass, Got a hurricane heart that's beating way too fast. And it's a tough and lonely truth, but it's the only one I need, The world keeps turning 'round a man they think they understand, But the only one who knows me is the me I'll never lead. (Bridge) So let 'em see the calloused hands, the wear on the boots, Let 'em see the steady man who everybody hails. 'Cause they're just looking at the cover of a book they'll never read, And the real story's written in a language I have freed. It ain't a lie, it's armor... and it's beautiful and true, That the strongest person I know is the one they see, and the one they never knew. (Chorus ) I'm a fortress built of iron, on a foundation made of glass, Got a hurricane heart that's beating way too fast. And it's a tough and lonely truth, but it's the only one I need, The world keeps turning 'round a man they think they understand, But the only one who knows me is the me I'll never lead. (Slow Outro Verse) Just the hum of the engine, the fading highway lines, Leaving all the questions and the warning signs behind. There’s one life for the world to see, and one that lives in my head, And he’s the only one who'll ever know the me I'll never lead... Yeah, he’s the iron in the fortress, the truth behind the lie, And we'll just keep on driving, him and I.