Only man

Lyrics

[Intro — whispered, piano only] Yeah… yeah… Everybody ask me how I'm doing, I just tell ’em I'm straight… But if I told ’em what was going on inside, Would they even stay? Sometimes I wish somebody'd look me in my eyes And see the pain I hide… ’Cause I'm tired of saying I'm okay When I'm dying inside. [Verse 1 — soft, melodic singing] I been fighting wars that nobody knows about, Smile on my face, got a storm in my house, Everybody call when they need me to save ’em, But when I'm the one breaking, ain't nobody around. I learned to wipe my tears before they hit the floor, 'Cause the ones I used to lean on don't answer no more, I done gave my last to people who had plenty, Now I'm looking in the mirror, ain't got nothing left for me. I got a heart full of hurt that I never discuss, Got a head full of thoughts that be tearing me up, They say, “Man up,” like a man don't bleed, Like we don't get scared, like we don't got needs. I been holding everybody, who gon' hold me? Got a thousand people 'round, still feel lonely, I could scream at the top of my lungs in this room, And the world keep moving like it ain't hear me. [Pre-Chorus — piano builds, voice cracks] And I don't wanna burden nobody with my pain, So I tell ’em I'm good when I'm drowning in the rain, I became everybody's shelter from the storm, Now I'm standing in the cold with nowhere to go… [Chorus — soaring vocals, electric guitar enters] Don't nobody care about the man that's suffering in silence, He can die a thousand times inside, still look like he surviving. Everybody love the strong one till he finally start collapsing, Then they wonder why he distant, why he don't know how to trust nobody. Who gon' catch me when I fall? Who gon' answer when I call? I been everybody's everything, but I'm nothing to them all. I keep screaming without making a sound, Got a million tears inside, but I won't let ’em fall down. Oh-oh-oh, I'm so tired of being strong… Tell me, where does a broken man belong? If I disappeared tomorrow, would they notice I was gone? Or would they only miss the man who kept them going all along? [Verse 2 — guitar picking, intimate delivery] I remember being young, thinking men don't cry, So I buried all my feelings, let ’em rot inside, Now I'm grown, got a thousand things I wish I could explain, But every time I open up, they use it against me someday. So I keep my deepest secrets underneath my chest, Tell the world I'm doing good, but I ain't getting rest, It's hard to close your eyes when your mind won't quit, And it's hard to love yourself when you don't feel worth it. I done played the therapist while needing therapy, Gave advice about love while love was killing me, Told my people, “Keep going,” when I wanted to quit, Funny how I saved their lives but can't save myself from this. And the saddest part ain't even all the pain I conceal, It's that I don't know how to tell somebody how I feel, I done wore this mask so long, it almost fit my face, Now I'm scared if I take it off, nobody gon' wanna stay. [Bridge — piano alone, nearly crying] If I break down, would you sit with me? If I told the truth, would you still see me? Not the man with the answers, not the one who provides, Just a soul that's been hurting, trying hard to survive. I don't need you to fix me, I just need you to hear, I been carrying this weight for so many years. Can a man say he's drowning without losing his pride? Can somebody love the man who ain't alright? Ohhh-ohhh… I don't need the whole world… Just somebody who cares… Somebody who notices I'm not really there… [Final Chorus — full piano and electric guitar, powerful high notes] Don't nobody care about the man that's suffering in silence, He can hide a broken heart so well, they mistake his pain for smiling. Everybody say they love you, but that love get real quiet When the man who carried everybody finally needs somebody beside him. Who gon' catch me when I fall? Who gon' answer when I call? I been giving out my pieces till there ain't no me at all. I'm so tired of being strong, I'm so tired of being wrong, I'm just trying to find a place where I ain't gotta hide my scars. Oh-oh-oh, can you hear me through this pain? I've been calling out for help, but my voice gets lost in rain. If I take this armor off, will you leave me where I stand? Tell me, who comes to the rescue of the man who saves everybody else? [Outro — fading electric guitar, soft piano] Everybody says, “You got this…” But what if I don't? Everybody says, “Stay strong…” What if I'm tired of being strong? I don't need another person telling me That everything will be alright… I just need somebody to notice I ain't been alright in a long time. Oh, Lord… Don't nobody ask about the man… The man who never complains… The man who carries everybody's pain… Who's gonna carry his? Piano fades. One final electric guitar note rings out.