[Verse 1]

"Farewell" I whispered under my breath as I stood under the stairwell/

Wondering where hell could differ from life, never a fairy tale/

Read the writing on the wall, but the words were spelled incorrectly/

Wanted to make it right, but yet subconscious wouldn't let me/

Ready to decorate those same walls with the insides of my skull/

Steady-handed, hyped depression made the palette fade to dull/

And ultimately, I felt like this planet was out to get me/

A muted gun blast was the exit sign, with no questions left to ask/

But I've got questions left to ask, and I've got things I've never done/

So many people I've never met, and I've got races left to run/

And just this once I won't be a coward, I'll play the role of the selfless/

Live this day-by-day existence, even though at time's it's hellish/

Maybe I'll write a book on future philosophy to make Socrates jealous/

I'll move to the middle of the desert and train an entire legion of zealots/

I'll decorate the skyline with a felt tip, fellowship with world leaders/

Organize a campaign to give the poorest children the best teachers

[Hook 1]

Or maybe i'll just live, breathe in and out and in again/

Until the end comes, search for the truth and then some/

Win some, lose more, but still the fight continues/

Carry on, young man, carry on/

Carry the cross across time, over the line and stand strong/

Carry on, young man, carry on/

Look that depression in the eye, because it can't last long/

Carry on, young man, carry on

[Verse 2]

"Farewell" I call to friends and family, cry and wave goodbye/

Enlisted courage by my side because I'm not afraid to die/

I'll pray and try to keep my hand from shaking, bite my bottom lip/

Fight the good fight for my children's right to exist/

It's come to this: peace keeping conflict/

Who's being honest/

Why can't we learn from history and try to move beyond this/

Stationed in Vietnam, ten-digit number becomes my name/

Smoke your marijuana to try and ease the pain/

Estray my mind on acid paths to try and get away/

My best friend "casualty" stepped on a landmine yesterday/

And let's just say I'm less than thrilled to swallow this jagged little pill/

I just want to go home to my dead-end nine-to-five and pay the bills

[Hook 2]

Will I be half the man I was before? Will they ever understand/

A mission and contraband, blurred lines drawn to right and wrong/

Bottom line, I made it through so I know you can/

Carry on, young man, carry on/

Flashback to victories won when you hear that certain song/

Carry on, young man, carry on/

We got you to thank for the free earth we stand upon/

Carry on, young man, carry on