Lyrics

The man I had to be
Yves Stilmant © 2025 ASCAP
Verse 1A
I carried all our burdens through the highs and lows.
I kept our little family standing through the blows.
I held the line on mornings when I fell apart.
But love kept pushing gently on my tired heart.
Verse 1B
The nights were long and heavy when the bills came due.
I worked until my hands were worn and aching through.
I tried to give them courage when the world felt cold.
A father learns to shoulder what he cannot hold.
Pre-Chorus
And every day I promised
I would guard the ones I love...

Chorus
It's a hard road, a long road,
But it's where I'm meant to be.
Every heartbreak, every struggle
Shaped the man they came to see.
And I keep on, I stay strong,
Through the storms and memory--
Yeah, the weight grew heavy sometimes,
But it made the man I had to be.



Verse 2A
I watched my children growing through the passing years.
I hid my silent worries and my quiet fears.
I prayed for gentle moments when their hopes were thin.
And thanked the Lord for giving me the strength within.
Verse 2B
My wife became my shelter when I lost my fight.
She held my broken pieces on the darkest night.
She carried half the sorrow that I tried to hide.
And stood with me through every restless, fragile tide.
Pre-Chorus
And every scar I carried
Built a stronger part of me...

Chorus
It's a hard road, a long road,
But it's where I'm meant to be.
Every heartbreak, every struggle
Shaped the man they came to see.
And I keep on, I stay strong,
Through the storms and memory--
Yeah, the weight grew heavy sometimes,
But it made the man I had to be.

Bridge
Someday they'll look back
And know the miles I walked alone.
They'll hear my quiet voice
Inside the lives they've come to own.
And when the world grows heavy
And they fall on bended knee--
I pray they'll feel the love
In the man I had to be.

Final Chorus
It's a hard road, a long road,
But we made it faithfully.
Every heartache, every battle
Built a stronger family.
And I keep on, I stay strong,
Through the storms that shaped our years--
Yeah, the weight was heavy sometimes,
But it carried us through all our fears.
Outro
This is the man...
I had to be.