DON'T TELL ME WHO YOU THINK I AM

DON’T TELL ME WHO I AM

Verse 1
Nine hundred ninety-nine a month, that's what I get
Bills pile up higher every month
You say I should just live in a box
But I've worked harder than you'll ever know
Three jobs at once, went back to school
Fifty-two years old, still learning more
You think you know my whole story
But you only see what you want to see
Chorus
Who are you to tell me who I am?
I'm not your victim, I'm just getting by
Who are you to paint my life that way?
I've earned every line on my face
Verse 2
Small talk in hallways, tension in the air
Living on edges of someone else's space
You call me slacker while I scrape by
Nine seventy-two out of nine ninety-nine
I'm not ashamed of where I stand
But your words cut deeper than you know
Try to break me down with your stares
But I won't let you define my worth
Chorus
Who are you to tell me who I am?
I'm not your victim, I'm just getting by
Who are you to paint my life that way?
I've earned every line on my face
Bridge

(Living one day at a time)

(Making peace with what is mine)
Verse 3
Keep to myself in morning light
Count my blessings, hold my head high
You can judge me from your perch
But you don't know what strength is worth
I'll find my way to better days
Without your permission or your praise
Got my dignity, got my pride
That's something money cannot buy
Chorus
Who are you to tell me who I am?
I'm not your victim, I'm just getting by
Who are you to paint my life that way?
I've earned every line on my face