THE STORY I WAS TOLD - A HOMETOWN ODYSSEY

“The Story I Was Told” is one of the most personal songs on A HOMETOWN ODYSSEY. It’s about growing up with pieces of your own history that you were too young to remember. It tells the story of homes built and lost, constant moves, family struggles, uncertainty, and the questions that remain when you learn your childhood through the stories other people tell you. I don’t claim to know every answer or every side of what happened. I only know that somewhere inside all those stories was a child who had no control over the roads, destinations, or circumstances around him. This song is about looking back at that story, accepting that some answers may never come, and finally realizing that I get to hold the pen now. THE STORY I WAS TOLD [Intro] Before I knew what “home” meant, Before I knew what “gone” meant, There was a story about me I was too young to remember. So I’m piecing it together From the words I heard back then. [Verse 1] He said we started with nothing, then built it from the ground, Four and a half years of work just to finally settle down. Every wall, every room, every nail they put in place, Then the land was gone and years of work got erased. I had toys in my bedroom, a swing out in the yard, Before I knew that keeping things could ever be this hard. Cabin, house, trailer, then a camper became home, Every time we found some ground, somehow we had to go. [Chorus] This is the story I was told, The roads beneath the roads I know. The homes we built, the homes we lost, The miles we walked, whatever the cost. I don't know every answer, I don't know every side, I only know I was a child Watching childhood pass me by. This is the story I was told, Before I ever took control. Before I knew where I belonged, Before I knew what made me strong. [Verse 2] Then Florida was a fresh start, sunshine after rain, New job, new place, trying to build it all again. Then an accident happened, left his body torn apart, Broken bones and broken plans, pressure getting dark. Bills don't stop for broken shoulders, rent don't wait for pain, Desperation makes decisions you might never make again. Then Ohio called, another road began to split, Another place, another chapter, another move through it. [Chorus] This is the story I was told, The roads beneath the roads I know. The homes we built, the homes we lost, The miles we walked, whatever the cost. I don't know every answer, I don't know every side, I only know I was a child Watching childhood pass me by. [Bridge] Then the story gets darker, Names turn into scars. Police lights, accusations, Cameras, trucks and cars. Eight and a half months locked away, Trust beginning to collapse. I wasn't there to witness it, So I can't rewrite the facts. [Verse 3] I inherited the questions Before I ever knew the answers, A childhood full of chapters Written by somebody else's hand. I didn't choose the highways, Didn't choose the destinations, I was just a kid caught Inside grown-up situations. Maybe memories change When they're carried through the years, Maybe truth gets buried Under anger, love and fear. But somewhere in those stories, Between every move and mile, There wasn't just a family— There was a child. Me. [Final Chorus] This is the story I was told, The roads beneath the roads I know. The homes we built, the homes we lost, The miles we walked, whatever the cost. I don't know every answer, And maybe never will, But I'm finally old enough To ask the questions still. This is the story I was told, Before I ever held the pen. Before I knew my own voice, Before I knew where I'd been. Now I'm taking every chapter, Every road and every scar, Not changing what came before me— Just learning who we are. [Outro] Maybe home was never one house. Maybe it was every place We tried to make one. Every wall. Every highway. Every goodbye. This is where my story starts. The story I was told. 🎵 Song: The Story I Was Told 🎤 Artist: Lil Mirage 💿 Album: A HOMETOWN ODYSSEY ✍️ Written by: Lil Mirage 🎙️ Performed by: Lil Mirage 🎧 Genre: Hip-Hop / Rap / Storytelling 📖 Theme: Childhood, family, home, memory, uncertainty, resilience, identity #LilMirage #AHomeTownOdyssey #TheStoryIWasTold #HipHop #Rap #StorytellingRap #Storytelling #LifeStory #PersonalStory #Childhood #Family #Home #Hometown #Memories #GrowingUp #Resilience #LifeJourney #EmotionalRap #DeepRap #ConsciousRap #UndergroundRap #IndependentArtist #IndependentRap #NewMusic #NewRap #RapMusic #HipHopMusic #OriginalMusic #OriginalSong #Songwriter #Lyricist #Rapper #MusicArtist #OhioMusic #MidwestRap #Hometown #LifeJourney #RealStory #RealLife