Lyrics

SHOULD’N ON MYSELF TOO LONG
(Greg Tamblyn)

I just turned forty this morning
Shouldn’t I be farther along
Shouldn’t I have more stuff, I’m not successful enough
Keep feeling’ like I don’t belong

I thought by now I’d be famous
Have a good grip on my dreams
It’s crazy I guess, this need for success
But I think I know what it means

These words like mustn’t and supposed to
Don’t work anymore, they’re all wrong
It’s just no good holding on to these shoulds
I’ve been should’n on myself too long
Should’n on myself and everybody else
Should’n on myself too long

When I was a kid I cried easily
Till I learned that it wasn’t cool
No crying out loud, you gotta be proud
That’s the first thing I learned in school

What I learned at home was manners
It wasn’t polite to get mad
You can’t scream and shout, you can’t let it out
It’s not pleasant for mommy and dad

Chorus

These days it feels like I’m ready to change
And leave all these old ways behind
Why should I care if someone thinks I’m strange
I’ve got to live my own life

So I’m going to let my guard down
Let people know I have needs
Ask for a hug, instead of a shrug
It doesn’t mean that I’m weak

Chorus

© 1991 Ramblin' Tamblyn Music, BMI