Nightmare

Stress rackin' up, weight stackin' up
Treat me like a joke, confidence is crackin' up
Back of the classroom, silent, had enough
Everything is negative, nothing here is adding up
In front of the glass, I can’t stand who I see
A million thoughts in my brain, keep losing me
In a whirlwind, got to find release
Gave my life to God and put my life up on this loose leaf
It’s hard enough to chase your dreams
I don’t need another nightmare
Lawd, imagine waking up to punch the clock, sleep, repeat
Everyone around you telling you to chase your dream
But they don’t pay your bills, or even buy CDs
Said if you ever make it, you gotta remember me
Frustration, question why you ever started
Operation, trying to find out where your heart is
Searching for your identity like you’re getting carded
Hungry, I don’t want to be a starving artist
I finally found my worth, discovered my voice
Doors open for the first time, got a choice
Signed the dotted line, «Oh you rich now?»
Nah, but I’m grateful for this dream I live out
Fear get out, doubt sit down
Thank God for every single time I missed out
Or got picked last, or picked on
For every failure that taught me the way to live on
For the work ethic that I learned stocking shelves
Needed that in the studio, songs don’t write themselves
For every listener that ever had to go through hell
Turned on the music, found something they could feel
Every situation that made me work harder
Every platform that took my message farther
Hindsight, for every dream that sleep killed
I needed the nightmares just to make the dreams real