The One I Was Then

I've been on the road so long The straight-and-narrow I've been on Is crooked as this smile that I fake And I need you like I need a drink Or a cigarette and some time to think About the choices that you and me make And I feel lonely And I'm so sorry And I remember the morning of Christmas Day I was still drunk and you were so afraid To end up with someone like me And then it all seemed to fall apart In a foreign land, ridin' in your car As you sang, "I still don't know what love means" And man, that hurt me Just like I hurt you And I have done some thinking and changing along the way And I wish that you could just see who I am today I know I'm a damn good man I know you did the best you can With the one I was then I never wanted all of this But oil and water, they never mix Until you light a match and turn it to a flame And there won't be another time around I had my chance and I shot it down Just a bird and a rifle to blame Man, I hate that song I play it all night long And I have been thinking and changing along the way And I wish that you could just see who I am today I know I'm a damn good man I know you did the best you can With the one I was then And I've learned from my mistakes The next one won't be afraid Of the one I was then