Declaration of Independence

Verse 1
Life has its ways of grabbing us,
And twisting us like pretzels too,
Into shapes we never intended,
Into things we meant not to do.
Often all our happy plans
Are bent by the forces of fate,
And a hundred people know our business,
Better than we do, early and late.

Verse 2
People who hardly know us
Know what we should feel and seek,
What we ought to do tomorrow,
Any given day of the week.
Like an old shoe on their stinky feet,
Their view of life fits fine;
So surely what feels good on them
Should fit your foot and mine.

Chorus
I want to sail across fields of gold,
I want to choose the road I take.
I want to climb those twelve-foot walls,
Whatever effort it may take.
Don't write across the wall before me,
“Thou shalt not fly today.”
I'll claim my own independence,
But I won't throw God's love away.

Verse 3
On our journey we would travel left,
But traffic forces us to the right;
Our leisure time, left unguarded,
Gets swallowed out of sight.
Like a vacuum, others' agendas
Can consume the time we own,
Till everyone else's destination
Has somehow become our own.

Chorus
I want to sail across fields of gold,
I want to choose the road I take.
I want to climb those twelve-foot walls,
Whatever effort it may take.
Don't write across the wall before me,
“Thou shalt not fly today.”
I'll claim my own independence,
But I won't throw God's love away.

Bridge
Can we break or climb the walls
Of social expectations?
Not easily—we need the strength
To make our declaration.
But beware when freedom finally comes:
Don't make yourself its king.
For selfish use of property and time
Can sour everything.

Verse 4
Independence handled poorly
Brings the brine that sours the soul;
Living only for ourselves
Can never make us whole.
There's still a higher hill to climb,
The highest one of all:
Where we forget ourselves and serve,
And answer someone else's call.

Final Chorus
So let me sail across fields of gold,
And let me choose the road I take.
Let me climb those twelve-foot walls,
And choose the life I want to make.
But freedom isn't living only
For myself from day to day;
The highest declaration of independence
Is choosing love along the way.

Outro
Forget yourself and serve another,
Rise above the push and shove;
And like a patient, devoted father,
Learn tolerance, patience—and love.