21

They tell her from a young age That beauty is looks and she believes them and tries her very best Her innocence they take And she starts to wear makeup and wear clothes she thinks they'll like But nobody told her she had a pretty great person inside No one said, "You're capable and loving" "You're kind and you're smart" "You got passion in your eyes and beauty in your smile" "And you are a work of art" It took me 21 years to see it this clear That their story is wrong and it's not worth the tears I am worth something And I'm done acting And how many times that I never loved The person in the mirror, but that's who I was I am so much more And I finally surrendered the war She finally gets to high school She doesn't look like they do She's not outgoing She writes these songs alone in her room And she finally gets to college And thinks boys will be so different there But she's disappointed by the way that they talk and they stare Pretty soon she hardly eats at all She's sick every day Puking in the bathroom stall And she wants to get better 'Cause she knows she's not who she sees in the mirror It took me 21 years to see it this clear That their story is wrong and it's not worth the tears I'm worth something And I'm done acting And how many times that I never loved The person in the mirror, but that's who I was I am so much more And I finally surrendered the war It all got too heavy And I wasn't healthy I was weak to the bones 'Til I couldn't do this no more And I thought about love I gave to everyone else And I'm still trying to convince myself I deserve love as well It took me 21 years to see it this clear That their story is wrong and it's not worth the tears I am worth something And I'm done acting And how many times did I never loved The person in the mirror, but that's who I was I am so much more And I finally surrendered the war