And Yet I Smile

Five o'clock.

Alarm screaming like it owes me money.

Another day.

Another fight.

So I get up.

Because that's what you do.

No one's coming to save you.

So you save yourself.

And yet...

I smile.

Alarm at five, eyes red, another fucking morning,

Boots by the door, same old shit, no warning.

Rent's gone up, wages haven't, cupboards looking thin,

Boss wants blood by seven, so I give the bastard skin.

Cold tea on the counter, toast burnt black,

Missus says, “You alright?” — I say, “Yeah,” and that's that.

Truth is I'm exhausted, but I can't let the cracks show,

'Cause little eyes are watching everywhere I go.

Work till my hands ache, rain soaking through my coat,

Counting every penny, trying hard to stay afloat.

Everybody wants something, everybody needs a piece,

But I don't need a mansion — just a little fucking peace.

So I graft.

Yeah, I graft until my back screams,

'Cause the kids need shoes

and the fridge needs food

and my wife deserves more than broken dreams.

And when I walk through that front door,

My little boy comes running.

I drop my keys.

He jumps into my arms.

And for a minute...

I forget.

'Cause life don't give a fuck

How tired you are.

It'll kick you when you're down,

Then ask you where you are.

But I've got two little reasons

That still make the darkness mild...

I could fall apart a hundred times,

And yet I smile.

I've been dragged through the dirt,

I've been beaten by the miles,

I've cried when nobody saw me,

Then I walked another mile.

I've had days I wanted nothing,

I've had nights that wouldn't end,

But I've still got love beside me,

I've still got someone to defend.

So let the world keep swinging,

Let it throw everything it can.

I'll take the hit,

I'll take the pain,

I'll get back up again.

'Cause you can break my body,

You can scar me for a while...

But you can't take the man

who chooses to smile.

And yet I smile.

I lost a mate one Friday night.

Phone rang.

“Mate, you sitting down?”

I wasn't.

Then the words came through

and the whole fucking room went quiet.

One minute he was here,

laughing like a bastard,

talking absolute shite,

making everybody laugh.

Next minute—

Gone.

Blue lights painting red across the pavement,

someone shouting,

someone crying,

someone saying,

“Don't let him go.”

But he did.

And people say,

“Be strong.”

Like strength means you don't fucking grieve.

So I went home

and shut the bedroom door

and finally let the tears fall

where nobody could see.

I looked at the empty chair.

His messages still on my phone.

His name still in my contacts.

And for the first time in years,

I didn't know what the fuck

I was supposed to do.

So yeah...

I grieved.

I still grieve.

Some wounds don't heal.

They just become part of who you are.

And the next morning

that bastard alarm went off at five.

So I got up.

Because what else could I do?

Stay down?

Let the darkness win?

Nah.

I've got a family waiting.

I've got little hands reaching for mine.

I've got a woman who still believes in me

when I don't believe in myself.

So I wiped my eyes.

Put my boots on.

And stepped outside.

I've been dragged through the dirt,

I've been beaten by the miles,

I've cried when nobody saw me,

Then I walked another mile.

I've buried fucking good men,

I've stood beneath grey skies,

I've swallowed down the anger

and I've screamed without a sound inside.

So let the world keep swinging,

Let it throw everything it can.

I'll take the hit,

I'll take the pain,

I'll get back up again.

'Cause you can break my body,

You can scar me for a while...

But you can't take the man

who chooses to smile.

And yet I smile.

My daughter's got a school play,

I'm working late again,

She's standing in the doorway

with her face against the pane.

“Daddy, are you coming?”

Fuck.

That question cuts deeper

than anything I've ever faced.

So I finish up the shift,

race home like a madman,

still smelling like the factory,

still covered in the day's grime.

She's waiting in the hallway.

“Mummy said you'd be here.”

“Course I would.”

She grabs my hand.

And suddenly the bills don't matter.

The bastard boss don't matter.

The pain in my back don't matter.

For ten minutes,

I'm not some bloke trying to keep the wheels turning.

I'm just Dad.

And that's enough.

Later, when the kids are sleeping,

I sit beside my wife.

We don't say much.

We don't need to.

She puts her hand in mine.

I look at her.

She looks at me.

We've both been through hell.

But we're still here.

Still together.

Still choosing each other.

And I think...

Maybe that's what winning looks like.

Not the car.

Not the house.

Not the money.

Not the fucking status.

Winning is getting knocked down

and still making breakfast the next morning.

Winning is burying your friends

and still finding a reason to love.

Winning is looking at your children

and deciding they deserve a better world.

Winning is looking at your wife

and saying,

“I'm still here.”

Even when you're not sure

how much you've got left.

And then...

My little girl looked at me.

She said,

“Daddy...

Why do you always smile?”

And I told her...

“Because the world's already taken enough.”

Beat.

“It doesn't get to take this.”

There is light beyond the darkness,

I just had to make it through.

The world's been trying to break me,

but I've still got love to lose.

Every scar became a story,

every tear became a mile.

And if tomorrow brings another war...

I'll meet it with a smile.

There is light beyond the darkness!

There is hope beyond the pain!

And even when the sky falls,

I'll get up and breathe again!

I've got love inside my heart,

I've got fire in my eyes,

I've got everything worth fighting for

standing by my side.

So let the whole world test me,

let it throw me every trial...

I've been through hell and back,

AND YET I SMILE!

Yeah—

I smile for the mornings

when I didn't think I'd see,

Smile for the people

who still mean the world to me.

Smile for the fallen,

'cause I'll carry what they gave,

Every lesson, every memory,

every name engraved.

Smile for the struggle,

for the nights I couldn't sleep,

For the promises I made

and the ones I intend to keep.

Smile for my children,

so they know what strength is,

Not pretending you ain't hurting—

But refusing to let the hurt

decide what your life is.

I ain't bulletproof.

I ain't fearless.

I ain't made of fucking stone.

I've cried.

I've broken.

I've screamed.

I've felt alone.

But I've got love.

I've got purpose.

I've got people calling me home.

And as long as I've got that...

I'll never truly be alone.

I've been dragged through the dirt,

I've been beaten by the miles,

I've cried when nobody saw me,

Then I walked another mile.

I've buried friends and carried scars,

I've faced the darkest skies,

But every time the world said,

“Give up.”

I looked it in the fucking eyes.

And smiled.

'Cause there is light beyond the darkness,

There is hope beyond the pain.

And whatever comes tomorrow,

I'll get up and breathe again.

I've got love inside my heart,

I've got fire in my eyes,

I've got everything worth fighting for

standing by my side.

So let the whole world test me.

Let it throw me every trial.

I've been through hell and back...

AND YET I SMILE.

Maybe happiness isn't

a life without pain.

Maybe it's finding something

worth smiling for...

when the pain arrives.

So tomorrow morning...

Five o'clock.

Alarm screaming.

Another day.

Another fight.

I'll get up.

I'll graft.

I'll keep going.

I'll kiss my wife.

I'll wake my kids.

I'll step outside.

And whatever the fuck

the world throws at me...

I'll smile.

And yet I smile.

Piano fades.

Maybe happiness isn't

a life without pain.

Maybe it's finding something

worth smiling for when the pain arrives.

So tomorrow morning...

Five o'clock.

Alarm screaming.

Another day.

Another fight.

I'll get up.

I'll graft.

I'll keep going.

I'll kiss my wife.

I'll wake my kids.

I'll step outside.

And whatever the fuck

the world throws at me...

I'll smile.

And yet I smile.