sometimes i wanna shed this skin
& know what it's like to begin again
let go of the weight that drags me down
there's got to be more than this town
the life that i've created, part of me
all the things that i want to set free
i've struggled to bury it deep
sometimes i just wanna sleep
wake up to something more
find something worth fighting for
thoughts weighing heavy on my mind
struggling against the chains that bind
but of all the words ever said
truth in this: there's hope ahead
life is fleeing moments, passing us by
there's always a reason to hope, to try
like a flame that's burning bright
watching stars fill up the night
take a moment to sing and laugh
i'll leave a trail of words, follow the path

the world wasn't always so cold & black
won't you let me take you back
to a time where lightnin' bugs lit up the skies
and we'd play in the creek & make mud pies
baseball in back yards, homeruns past the fence
back in the day where life made more sense
and the biggest worry was your mama getting mad
you didn't know what it was like to really be sad
we'd make a bed, right there in the grass
didn't know the world was made of glass
back then things were so sure
and we were all so pure
so beautifully untainted
oh the life we had painted
we'd play without worry, without fear
laugh so loud the whole world could hear
find the joy in such simple things
playground tag, racing to the swings
and it was impossible for us to hush
always moving, always in a rush
too ready to just grow up
time couldn't pass fast enough
so now i tell my children to take it slow
because they still have a long way to go
but that time will pass before we know it
sometimes you can't go back but you can remember

disillusioned, she hopes that someone will care
about how much time she spends on make up and hair
lips so red and eyes lined black
how did she get so far off track?
she wears tight clothes, likes to show skin
but she knows that she'll never really fit in
and the lights they flatter
the areas that matter
in this club she likes to dance
maybe she'll get a second chance
to save herself, to finally live
if only she can learn to forgive
the ones that hurt her, left her to die
after time the tears run dry
and she feels empty, alone
no place that she can call home
because they took his word, called her a liar
locked her away when she set his house on fire
she runs his words through her head
how he tried to **** her, left her for dead
he said that good girls would never tell
and she told him she'd see him in hell
he ruined the good in her, made her afraid
mistake after mistake, it was all she made
years go by and they finally set her free
and she doesn't know who she should be
it's easiest here, in this dusty old bar
trying to find meaning in the backseat of a car
and night after night the memories return
all she can see is watching it burn
she doesn't know how to be whole again
and it makes her sick when they touch her skin
but she smiles through the pain
their words run down like rain
she knows when they take her hand
that they will never understand
how broken she really is

you hold on to your tears
like souvenirs
you won't let them flow
because you can't let go
memories and pain
wash over you like rain
and you're walking the same old path
afraid to smile, afraid to laugh
it doesn't hurt to frown
and no one will let you down
if you're always prepared
to distrust those who've cared
when you're ready, you'll move on
find the road that will lead you home
arms that welcome you
hearts that love you true
and never give up
because you're worth it

skies of blue and fields of green
walk with me inside this dream
braid flowers through my hair
and we'll pretend the world isn't there
in these moments of smiles and laughter
this is what i've been after
these moments of peace
and the sweet release
of being myself, full & whole
can you see inside my soul
because i feel you dancing there
whispered words float through the air
and my heart skips a beat
to find a feeling this sweet
and this pure
but are you sure?
do you really understand
how i feel when i hold your hand
because i feel magic

stitch me up, with needle and thread
and calm the noise inside my head
and all the thoughts that bring me down
the emptiness of this town
it weighs me down like a wet coat
sink or swim or will i float?
sing to me, soft and sweet
calm the tapping of my feet
nervous habits are hard to break
and sometimes it's too much to take
do you know what this is, the way i feel
when it's hard to distinguish what is real
because the world is just so full
and i can feel her pull
and i'm afraid i'll fall
why do i risk it all?
for the beauty of the joy and pain
music pours down like rain
and my senses are so alive
i don't know that i'll survive
because it always seems like too much
the way we laugh, the way we touch
longing to be connected
adored and respected
and then left alone
to find my way home
because i always need that space
and the peace of finding my place
in this world covered in dust and vines
i long for the sun and how she shines
but even the rays become too bright
and i crave the comfort of the night
because i can hide
the way it feels inside
to feel so much
all at once

when you feel like it's too much to bear
just know that i'll always be there
when the world turns to gray and black
and you can feel the wolves at your back
when the night feels so cold and dark
& all the worries are heavy in your heart
when you lose the stars in the sky
and your mountains seem too high
when you feel like you're all alone
i'll be there to guide you home
when you feel confused and out of place
remember my words, remember my face
when you're drinking from a broken cup
i'll be praying you never give up
because this life is so beautiful, so real
and sometimes it's too hard to feel
without it becoming such a drain
and you empty it out, hold the pain
and you can't, you have to let go
of everything you think you know
grow your dreams big and bright
and watch them dance across the night
because you are worth so much more
than you give yourself credit for
even though my body isn't here
i don't want you to shed a tear
you don't have to see
to know that it's me
because i am always with you