A Fond Farewell

My mother once told me
 The thicker your skin
 The better off you'll be when this world brings you down
 Well it's trying to control me
 And leave me without hope
 In the past I've been burned
 But I've lived and I've learned
 Beneath the shelter of the pouring rain
 In the absence of this fear and pain
 I will finally bid my ball and chain
 A fond farewell
 On the road that leads me to my place
 I will rid my heart of past disgrace
 I will finally bid this sluggish pace
 A fond farewell
 When I heard their reservations
 When I read their bitter words
 I shined a light upon their wisdom no matter how absurd
 And it broke my heard to pieces
 And I questioned my own beliefs
 My dignity was gone
 But it's time to move on
 Chorus
 Say goodbye to feeling sorry for myself
 To begging others for far too much help
 This is my hand, these are the cards that I've been dealt
 Only I can make these changes, nobody else
 Say goodbye to those sleepless nights
 Those corridors with no end in sight
 A driven man with these words I write
 I'm making peace with my soul tonight
 Chorus