Trying Hard to Be a Man (Official Lyrics Video)

Trying Hard to Be a Man is a grit-and-soul country song about the pressure, confusion, and quiet fatigue that comes from measuring yourself against expectations you never wrote.

This isn’t about failing.
It’s about trying… every single day.

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You’re not alone in this struggle

LYRICS
Verse 1
I wake up with the weight already on me,
Like I forgot to set it down last night.
Another day of standing straight
And pretending I’ve got the fight.
I look in the mirror, square my shoulders,
Tell myself to understand —
Whatever this world expects of me,
I’m trying hard to be a man.

I learned early what they wanted to see:
A steady hand, a quiet mouth.
No room for fear, no space for doubt,
Just keep your weakness out.
So I keep my head down, chest out,
Do everything I can.
Even when I don’t know what I’m doing,
I’m trying hard to be a man.

Verse 2
They said a man don’t flinch, don’t bend,
Don’t let the cracks appear.
They said a man provides, protects,
And swallows all his fear.
They never said what to do
When you’re empty on the inside.
They never taught me how to feel
Without losing my pride.

So I learned to keep it moving,
Learned to fake being okay.
Learned how to turn confusion
Into something I don’t say.
I carry doubt like contraband,
Hide it where nobody scans.
Because I’m scared if they see too much,
They’ll say I’m not a man.

Chorus
I’m trying hard to be a man,
Whatever that means today.
Trying to stand up straight
When I’m losing my way.
I don’t always understand
The rules I’m judged by.
But I’m still here, still trying,
Still not ready to lie down and die.

I’m trying hard to be a man,
Even when I don’t know how.

Verse 3
I’m trying to be strong for the people
Who depend on my name.
Trying not to let my tiredness
Turn into something like shame.
I’m trying to hold it together
When everything feels thin.
Trying not to let the pressure
Decide who I am within.

I’ve worn responsibility like a uniform,
Even when it didn’t fit.
Said yes when I was already breaking,
Just to prove I could take it.
I’ve confused endurance with purpose,
Pain with paying my dues.
I’ve stayed silent long enough
To forget what I’d choose.

Chorus
I’m trying hard to be a man,
Not the loud kind, not the cold.
Just the kind who keeps showing up
Even when he’s worn and old.
I’m trying not to disappear
Behind the role I play.
I’m trying hard to be a man
Without losing myself along the way.

Verse 4
I’m trying to believe that strength
Doesn’t mean feeling numb.
Trying to trust that being honest
Won’t make me come undone.
I’m trying to unlearn the silence
That kept me alive back then.
Trying to admit that surviving
Isn’t the same as being well.

I’ve carried anger I couldn’t name,
Sadness I never said.
I’ve fought myself in quiet rooms
Just to get out of bed.
I’ve prayed like a man who’s tired
Of pretending he’s brave.
I’ve asked God if being broken
Disqualifies me from being saved.

Bridge
Nobody hands you a clear definition,
Nobody shows you the lines.
They just tell you to measure yourself
Against everyone else’s life.
They tell you to toughen up,
To handle it on your own.
But they don’t stay for the nights
When you’re fighting alone.

Maybe being a man isn’t armor,
Isn’t silence or pride.
Maybe it’s standing in the truth
Even when you’d rather hide.
Maybe it’s choosing to stay soft
In a world that demands you’re stone.
Maybe it’s admitting you’re still learning
What it means to be grown.

Verse 5
I’m trying hard to be a man
Who doesn’t harden his heart.
Trying not to let disappointment
Tear my faith apart.
I’m trying to forgive myself
For all the times I fell short.
Trying to believe effort matters
Even when there’s no report.

I don’t have it figured out,
Don’t have a final plan.
I just wake up and do my best
With the tools I have in my hands.
If that’s not enough for some people,
I’m learning to understand —
I can only be who I am today,
Still trying hard to be a man.

Final Chorus
I’m trying hard to be a man,
Not perfect, not fearless, not fake.
Just honest enough to keep going
And brave enough to change.
I’ve stumbled, I’ve doubted,
I’ve questioned who I am.
But I’m still here, still breathing,
Still trying hard to be a man.

Outro
If you’re trying too,
If you’re tired and unsure —
You’re not weak for asking questions.
You’re just human…
Trying.