Seven and Eleven

[Verse 1]
At seven I was small,
but I walked like I was tall
Muddy shoes on the curb,
chasing bugs along the wall
Mama said, "Find your people,
don't let the silence win"
So I made a crooked kingdom
out of all my paper friends

[Pre-Chorus]
And the summers kept on calling
like a train I had to board
Every lesson came in pieces
every bruise became a chord

[Chorus]
I was seven, chasing daylight
I was seven, holding on
I was seven, and I learned it
you can't grow up all alone
I was seven, chasing daylight
I was seven, loud and brave
(hold your ground)
(I was seven)

[Verse 2]
At eleven, the hallways changed,
and the game got hard and real
We were acting like we knew it
but we hid what we could feel
Dad said, "Choose your road now,
or the road will choose you first"
I kept one hand on tomorrow,
one hand on the fire and hurt

[Pre-Chorus]
And the hours kept on turning
like a wheel through dust and rain
What was fear on Tuesday morning
turned to grit by Saturday

[Chorus]
I was eleven, chasing daylight
I was eleven, coming on
I was eleven, and I learned it
you can't grow up all alone
I was eleven, chasing daylight
I was eleven, loud and brave
(hold your ground)
(I was eleven)

[Bridge]
Now the mirrors speak in numbers
and the years keep moving fast
All those voices from my childhood
still are reaching from the past
If I lose my way tomorrow
I'll remember who I was
Small hands, big plans, open windows
and the people that I trust

[Chorus]
I was seven, chasing daylight
I was eleven, coming on
I was seven, I was eleven
and I learned where I belong
I was seven, chasing daylight
I was eleven, loud and brave
(hold your ground)
(I was seven, I was eleven)