Who I've Always Been

[Verse 1]
You walk in here with your guitar man
Your shiny boots and your full on band
A smile on your face, a knife in your hand
Singing songs you’ve got memorized
With whatever talent money buys
So polished that it slips right through your hands

[Pre-Chorus 1]
But don’t worry yourself
I ain’t your competition
But don’t flatter yourself
That was never my intention

[Chorus]
I wanna talk about what you are that I ain’t
Let’s talk about what you do that I can’t
Let’s talk about me and you in an empty room
And who wins
Let’s talk about what you did to get here
Let’s talk about blood and sweat and tears
Let’s talk about what you wanna be
And who I’ve always been

[Verse 2]
I walk in here with a beat up case
The same guitar I’ve always played
And the words I wrote down on a page
When I was 12 years old, small town raised
You tell the crowd you’re paying dues
I tell them, “This is what I do”
And it’s what I put my life into
As I breathe the smoke and cheap perfume

[Pre-Chorus 2]
And say, “Life on Music Row is rough conditions”
Oh, but the easy ride was never my ambition

[Chorus]
I wanna talk about what you are that I ain’t
Let’s talk about what you do that I can’t
Let’s talk about me and you in an empty room
And who wins
Let’s talk about what you did to get here
Let’s talk about blood and sweat and tears
Let’s talk about what you wanna be
And who I’ve always been

[Bridge]
Let’s talk about your childhood days
You were the prom queen
I was on this stage
So where’s that crown gotten you these days?
When it’s me and you and the same damn games

[Final Chorus]
So what have you got that I ain’t?
And what can you do that I can’t?
Let’s put me and you in an empty room
And see who wins
Let’s talk about what you did to get here
Let’s talk about blood and sweat and tears
Let’s talk about who you wanna be, girl
And who I’ve always been