What Makes A Man
Discovering Identity: What Makes a Man According to Ryan Nealon
Lyrics
What makes a man
Reflecting on the qualities that define a man.
Someone to be just like their father
Desire to emulate the positive attributes of one's father.
Grow up and love somebody's daughter
Aspiring to grow up, love, and make a father proud through relationships.
And make him proud
The fulfillment of making one's father proud is a goal.
I don't understand
Expressing confusion or lack of understanding.
I tend to relate more to my mother
Feeling a stronger connection to one's mother.
Everyone said when I was younger
Recalling statements made about changing attitudes as a youth.
That I'd come around
Expectation to undergo a positive transformation with age.
But I listened to the things they said
Listening to advice but facing a deviation from the intended path.
And I lost my way
Regret for losing direction due to external influence.
Kind of believed I should be someone else
Believing in the need to be someone different, not true to oneself.
Not myself
Struggling with authenticity and identity.
Oh and nothing has changed
No significant change despite efforts or time passed.
Maybe it's too late
Recognizing a potential realization that it might be too late.
Been holding back for way too long
Withholding emotions and not expressing oneself for an extended period.
I made mistakes but I'm moving on
Acknowledging mistakes but committed to moving forward.
Oh, not gonna wait until I'm gone
Not waiting until it's too late to make positive changes.
What makes a man
Reiteration of the contemplation on what defines a man.
Someone who never feels like crying
Characterizing a man as someone unyielding to tears.
Someone who's not afraid to die
A man unafraid of death or solitude.
Or to be alone
Describing characteristics that traditionally define masculinity.
But I cried myself to sleep for years
Personal experience of emotional struggles and fragility.
Was about to break
Near a breaking point due to emotional turmoil.
Kind of believed I should be someone else
Revisiting the struggle to conform to external expectations.
Not myself
Reiteration of the internal conflict with one's identity.
Oh and nothing has changed
No apparent change despite internal struggles.
Maybe it's too late
Acknowledging the possibility that change might be too late.
Been holding back for way too long
Suppressing emotions and not expressing oneself for an extended period.
I made mistakes but I'm moving on
Admitting mistakes but determined to move forward.
Oh, not gonna wait until I'm gone
Not waiting until it's too late to make positive changes.
Until I'm gone
Emphasizing the urgency of self-discovery and change.
Until I'm gone
Repeating the sentiment of not waiting too long for transformation.
Until I'm gone
Emphasizing the need for immediate change and self-improvement.
Not gonna wait until I'm gone
Reiteration of not delaying positive transformation.
What makes a man
Returning to the contemplation on the qualities that define a man.
Someone to be just like their father
Desire to emulate the positive attributes of one's father, revisited.
Grow up and love somebody's daughter
Reiteration of the aspiration to love and make a father proud through relationships.
And make him proud
The fulfillment of making one's father proud remains a goal.
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