Lyrics
[verse]
They see the jacket, they see the walk
They cross the street before I talk
A raised eyebrow, a whispered word
I'm the villain in a tale nobody heard
I laugh too loud, I run too fast
They judge the cover, never read the past
[chorus]
But I'm not a bad seed, no, not a renegade
Just a heart still learning the games that grown folks played
Call me reckless, call me wild
I'm just a mixed-up, misunderstood child
Look a little closer, you'll see it's true
I'm not the trouble they made me out to be to you
[verse]
My daddy shakes his head, my teacher sighs
The neighbors trade their tired lies
I skip a class, I dodge a chore
That doesn't make me a criminal at your door
I got a temper, I got some pride
But there's a good heart beating deep inside
[chorus]
But I'm not a bad seed, no, not a renegade
Just a heart still learning the games that grown folks played
Call me reckless, call me wild
I'm just a mixed-up, misunderstood child
Look a little closer, you'll see it's true
I'm not the trouble they made me out to be to you
[bridge]
Give me a chance before you slam the door
I'm not the headline that you're looking for
Underneath this attitude and all this noise
Is just a restless, searching kind of boy
[chorus]
So I'm not a bad seed, no, not a renegade
Just a heart still learning the games that grown folks played
Call me reckless, call me wild
I'm just a mixed-up, misunderstood child
Look a little closer, you'll see it's true
I'm not the trouble they made me out to be to you
