Any Other Way You were born in the middle of the night The first thing you lost was your sight I couldn’t see what was under me But you knew exactly what I was going to be And I didn’t question what I didn’t hear you say But you didn’t know it any other way I finally learned my name I wrote it down while I was on the train In Chicago, I finally learned What it would take for me to get burned I thought it was going to turn out OK But you didn’t know it any other way I graduated on the day The sun was shining they told me no way In the world, will you succeed It took us too long to teach you to read Between the lines, you’re going to pay Because you don’t know it any other way I was just about to hit middle age When it hit that I was still making minimum wage In my hometown where I was shot down And I just decided to hang around And stay just another day Because you didn’t know it any other way I was finally on my death bed All of my dreams lost in my head Somewhere, in my brain up there Lost forever but I didn’t care Because I had forgotten it was too late to stay And you didn’t know it any other way Now I have died and gone where I belong Looking back at all the things I did wrong And I would agree that I would have to agree That there’s a lot worse off people than me Everyday I’m thankful and I pray That you didn’t know it any other way