[Verse 1]
He's a father, a man
He's a husband with stories he tells
Of days that he lived through
And things that he watched die as well
He said "I've fought wars and I've had my day
I was forced to be strong, I was taught to be brave and I was
I saw things that weren't meant to be seen
I would have lost it all for my country and queen but I'm here
I took the hand of a mixed race girl
And she showed me to love, yeah she showed me the world
Now I'm dying"

[Hook]
But I can't die
No I can't die
Until I've lived my life

[Verse 2]
She's a mother, a woman
A grandma with secrets she kept
And some of those secrets were the only thing she had left
She said "I saw women in magazines
Who I could have known, who I could have been, yeah that's right
Cast my hands in those concrete slabs
I just wanted to sing, I just wanted to dance every night
And I had visions and I had dreams
But they weren't the same as my husband and children at home
And I made choices that weren't alright
And I lived my life being someone's wife, don't I know?"
[Hook]
But I can't die
No I can't die

[Bridge]
I hope there are smiles in the crowd
When I'm lowered into the ground
And the earth, takes me back
And they'll say I did all I can
And I'll sleep with no dreams in my mind
'Cause my dreams were so very alive

[Hook]
But this time
No I can't die
Until I've lived my life

No, I can't die
No, I can't die
Until I've lived my life