Spirit Of A Boy, Wisdom Of A Man [Glen Burtnik]

Spirit Of A Boy, Wisdom Of A Man
Words and music by Glen Burtnik and Trey Bruce
Lead Vocals by Glen Burtnik

He was 16, tender & tough.
She was too, & he'd do anything to prove his love

With so much riding on the choice at hand
The spirit of a boy, the wisdom of a man

Hearts caught fire, love ran wild.
She cried the day she called to say
She was carrying his child
With so much riding on the choice at hand
The spirit of a boy, the wisdom of a man

It's a constant contradiction
What feels good & what feels right
You live with the decisions you make in your life
And what steers your direction is hard to understand
The spirit of a boy, the wisdom of a man

He drives a diesel out of Dallas
Hauling cars out to the coast
It ain't the dream that he remembers
Just a few short years ago

Tonight at the truck stop he drinks a cup
The waitress grins, winks at him & says
"my shift's almost up"

With so much riding on the choice at hand
The spirit of a boy with a pocket full of plans
And so much riding on the choice at hand
The spirit of a boy, the wisdom of a man

(If you think this song sounds familiar, perhaps it's because it became a big hit for Randy Travis)

Interpretation

At age 16, barely a man, and in many ways still a boy, falling in love with a girl of the same age makes he grows up fast when she gets pregnant. Years later, he's a truck driver heading from Texas to the west coast, leaving his wife and kid(s) at home, when he faces a choice. The waitress at the truck drop hints at a chance for a one night stand. He has the spirit of a boy, tempted at the offer, and hopefully he has the wisdom of a man, declining the offer.