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