All songs
copyrighted
by David Rood
except as noted.
Boy Wonder, Part 2
Story
There is no part 1; it's the story of what happens in the second half of his life. Well, that isn't really true. This song was a response to "Boy Wonder" by Carla Ulbrich.It's based on a true story, but given that it happened to somebody else [somebody I at least have never met], those of us making artistic retellings have to draw on ourselves. My take on it is enough different from Carla's that I thought it needed to be out there. She described the experience and the decision; I concentrated on the repercussions.
Lyrics
[A] I graduated from [D] college[A] Before I reached my [E] teens
[A] Back then every [D] body said
[E] I had a towering destiny [E]
[c#m] Well I made my choice: to mine [f#m] own self true
[bm] I was still a [E] kid
[A] I took my voice to [D] middle school
[E] I changed my name and hid
Chorus:
Now [A] only a few [D] people know
[A] I was ever [bm] the Boy Wonder
[A] This is where I [f#m] chose to go
I’m [bm] living under [E] cover
When [D] I was in the [E] public Eye
I [A] felt too many [f#m] people tried
[bm] To control my [E] path of life
[E] But I am still not [A] free
Now I go and walk around
On a normal street
Like everybody’s neighbourhood
The kind you never see
The sky is blue, the grass is green
And I can clearly see
The way that you experience it
Is not the same as me
(chorus)
I have all these experiences
Other kids don’t know
And understanding some of them
Must wait until I grow
It’s obvious that does affect
The way that I react
But I’m an actor; ask away
I’ll give the answers you expect.
(chorus)
Well, I could accuse my parents
My teachers and the news
Of giving me dichotomy
Instead of simple truths
But deep inside I can’t deny
It’s what I had to be
I wasn’t fitting in before
I’m always in between
(chorus)
Well that’s the basic picture;
That is my story so far
It doesn’t matter where or what
It matters who you are
I can’t say if I made the right
Decision, win or lose
But the greatest gift I ever had
Was being able to choose
Now I am glad that I can say
I’ll always be the Boy Wonder
If I choose to go or stay
Alone or with another
I was letting others try
To control my path of life
And now I’m opening my eyes
And setting myself free
The secret to escape your cell
Is what the happy know so well
Before you can love someone else
You have to love yourself
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