I was 12 and things had been
Pretty okay up till then, the only deaths I'd experienced
Were of pets and grandparents of my friends

I wasn't gifted and talented 'till right around the seventh grade, and that is when everything changed, and I had to flip the switch and shut off my brain 'cause if I thought too much, I'd get sick to my stomach and I would feel like giving up
Throwing up, it was just too tough. 'cause that is when I realized
That even little babies die and I had to build a wall inside to keep me from losing my mind
He was only 9 months old a kid I'd babysit, and hug and hold
And I would tickle his toes, and pat his hеad, and watch his chest rise and fall as he slеpt in his crib and then my dad said late last night, "a truck driver hit their car, and he didn't survive'' and his mom was hurt bad, but his dad was alright
His big brother is fine, 'cause he stayed at the party. yeah, Steven was fine 'cause he stayed at the party

And if I thought too much I’d get sick to my stomach and I feel like giving up or throwing up it was just too tough

Sometimes things happen when we are small that we just don’t have the tools to deal with at all so we bottle it up and we just don’t see how the stuff that we stuff will affect who we’ll be
What protects us as kids slowly makes us insane so I’m trying to dismantle barricades brick by brick in an attempt to set free my brain brick by brick in an attempt to set free my brain
And I just hope that my heart is stronger now so much stronger than it was when I was 12
When if I thought too much I’d get sick to my stomach and I feel like giving up or throwing up it was just too tough
And I’d sing Daniel again and again and pretend you were just traveling on a plane

Quarter century later it’s still hard to take but with every red tail light I scream out your name yeah with every red tail light I scream out your name
I say Daniel Daniel Daniel I say Daniel Daniel Daniel
I say Daniel Daniel Daniel baby boy baby boy baby boy
Baby boy baby boy baby boy
Baby boy baby boy baby boy
Baby boy