Not My Father's Son

When I was just a kid
Everything I did, was to be like him
Under my skin
My father always thought
If I was strong and fought
Not like some albatross, I'd begin
To fit in

Look at me powerless and holding my breath
Trying hard to repress what scared him to death
It was never easy to be his type of man
To breathe freely was not in his plan
And the best part of me
Is what he wouldn't see

I'm not my father's son
I'm not the image of what he dreamed of
With the strength of Sparta and the patience of Job
Still couldn't be the one
To echo what he'd done
And mirror what was not in me

So I jumped in my dreams and found an escape
Maybe I went to extremes of leather and lace
But the world seems brighter six inches off the ground
And the air seemed lighter
I was profound, and I felt so proud
Just to live out loud

I'm not my father's son
I'm not the image of what he dreamed of
With the strength of Sparta and the patience of Job
Still couldn't be the one
To echo what he'd done
And mirror what was not
In me

The endless story of expectations wiring inside my mind
Wore me down
I came to a realization, and I found a way to turn it around
To see
That I could just be me

I'm not my father's son
I'm not the image of what he dreamed of

With the strength of Sparta and the patience of Job
Still couldn't be the one
To echo what he'd done
And mirror what was not in me

With the same jolly boy, you and me