I Wish Id Been Kinder

[Verso 1] C Am I was sleeping at a bus stop with my jacket over my eyes telling myself i didnt choose this F C Like i had any kind of choice at sixteen dragging my feet around the suburbs C G Just to stay away from the house pretending i was fine pretending i was tough Am Pretending the concrete didnt hurt pretending the shaking in my hands was normal F C And i kept moving because stopping meant thinking and thinking meant feeling G And i wasnt doing that back then no chance not me not then Am Thought leaving made me stronger thought distance made me brave F C But every kilometre i walked was just another reason not to turn back G And i kept telling myself this was freedom like freezing on a metal bench Am Proved anything except how stubborn i could be F C And that kid under the streetlight with no plan and no clue G He didnt know the door was open didnt know he could go home Didnt know he deserved anything better than cold nights and pride [Refrão] C G And i wish id been kinder to the kid i used to be Am He didnt need the cold nights didnt need that misery G He was doing the best he could with what he couldnt see F G C Yeah i wish id been kinder to the kid i used to be [Verso 2] C Pride was my whole personality back then pain was something you swallow Am And never speak about you dont ask for help you dont show fear F You dont admit that youre scared or tired or lost C You just curl up on a bench and pretend that its normal C And i called it independence like that word meant anything G While my ribs shook in the wind and my shoes were my pillow Am And i kept waking up in the same clothes telling myself F C (Ring out) This was exactly where i wanted to be even though it wasnt C Am I wasnt a hero running away from anything noble Wasnt a rebel worth writing about wasnt brave wasnt cool F Just a kid who made it harder on himself because he didnt know better C Didnt know softness counted didnt know self-worth was a thing C Didnt know that coming home wasnt failure Am And every step i took further away was another reason not to turn back F Because turning back felt like losing even though staying gone C G Was losing in its own way [Refrão] Am F C Am And i wish id been kinder to the kid i used to be G Am He didnt need the cold nights didnt need that misery F He was doing the best he could with what he couldnt see G C Yeah i wish id been kinder to the kid i used to be Am G C If i could sit with him now under that flickering streetlight Am G C Id tell him home isnt weakness and love isnt earned F G And you dont have to suffer to prove anything C Am And youre not broken youre just young and scared and trying F And none of this is your fault and none of it makes you less C And you dont have to be alone to be strong F G And youre allowed to go back youre allowed to be helped F G Youre allowed to be scared youre allowed to stop running [Refrão] C F C G And i wish id been kinder to the kid i used to be G Am He didnt need that punishment didnt owe that agony G F He survived what he survived and somehow he grew into me F G Yeah i wish id been kinder F G Yeah i wish id been kinder G C To the kid i used to be Outro C F C G Am F One day ill forgive him C G C For not knowing how to be free. C F C G