Early Days

I can remember now those messed-up early days
When love was just another game to play
Always causing trouble, trying to look cool
Living on the edge and breaking rules

Way back then, the future seemed so far
Living just for chicks, booze and muscle cars
Running in circles, wasting all my time
On things that couldn't fill the gap inside

And all those girls I made cry
I'm sorry, honey, I was always high
But deep inside, I was never proud of that
Behind that mask, I was lonely and sad

Now I'm just an old cowboy trying to hide my shame
From town to town, fleeing from my fame
And after all those years, I'm still paying the price
Haunted by the ghosts of a reckless life

My youth faded away, the whiskey has run dry
This new man finds joy in the quiet of the night
I've learned to walk the line and tame the wild within
Fighting the old man inside of me

All my faults I can see now
Sorry, darling, I broke my vow
But deep inside, I was never proud of that
Behind that mask, I was lonely and sad