He was a boy from a simple place
Dreamin' in his father's shadowed space
With a broom in hand, he'd play the role
Mimicking a man who dug in coal
But the world was cold, and the work was rough
And the pay was short, never quite enough

He watched his mama wake before the dawn
Papa's coffee, then he's gone
They never had the time for dreams
So he learned to dance in silent streams

Owner of nothing, but the dreams in his mind
Chasin' shadows, but the light's hard to find
He's got the heart, but the world don't see
The boy who'd be a man, lost in history

After school, he'd hit the streets
Finding work with tired feet
Mama's hands in the kitchen slow
While Papa's out where the wild winds blow
Years passed by, heavy and slow
The boy became a man, but the pain didn't go

And then one day, with a rose in hand
Whiskey for his old man, understand?
He walked the streets where the children play
Wishing he could turn back to yesterday

Owner of nothing, but the pain in his chest
Life's a game, but he never passed the test
He's got the fight, but the world don't see
The man who's bound by destiny

Mama's gone, and he couldn't say goodbye
Work took her life, left him to cry
Papa's eyes grew tired and weak
The years left marks too deep to speak

First job lost, but another came
Life moved on, but it's all the same
Papa found love, but time ran dry
He left the world with a whispered sigh

Now alone, with the weight of days
He worked and studied in the old ways
But the morning sun, or cloudy skies
Couldn't bring back those lost goodbyes

Owner of nothing, but the scars on his soul
Walking through life, just filling a role
He's got the will, but the world's grown cold
The story of a man whose life unfolds

And when he didn't wake one day
No one knew what he'd left to say
Did he find the peace he'd sought so long?
Or join his parents in a final song?
Owner of nothing, but dreams and dust
His story fades, like all of us