Idols - John Lindahl

I think it’s time I told my, yeah

I think it’s…

I think it’s time I told my story, not so many know it

No I ain’t come from the gutter man, nothing heroic

When I was signed I was seventeen, but way before it

Was just a kid with so many dreams of world touring

But Epic Records, damn they ain’t no joke

I showed the world my X Factor when I was just fourteen

That lil youngin' trying to get it, you know what I mean

And like my brother Bobby say «Tryna bust on the scene»

I gotta thank L.A. Reid, JT, L-O-G-I-C

For everything you seen in a younger me

But there’s a different reason that I’m thanking you all

Some of y’all was in the right, some in the wrong

L.A. Reid, L.A. Reid, why you even signed me

When you had no intention to put the label up behind me

Maybe it was trust, maybe it was timing

Or finding myself as an artist instead of what you designed for me

Remember all the times you almost put me out?

Four or five times at the finish line

Talkin' bout «Look he ain’t a star, I can tell when he walk

And he don’t suck the air out the room every time that he talk» Damn, yeah,

that shit was personal

Ain’t nothing to do with my talent or my versatility

Or my ability to make music that every single person in this world needs

The fuck do you know?

No disrespect, I take it back

You made a lot of stars who they are but you don’t talk about the ones you

passed

Chris Brown, Gaga, even passed on Mr. West

And J.L. 'bout to be on top of that list

But I ain’t coming for your neck like that

I’m still grateful and you know I got respect like that

You gave me music education and I just might add

That getting dropped from Epic Records was the best lesson I ever had

It made me greater than I ever was or ever been

Up in my bedroom cooking records til I couldn’t stand

It’s all love, it’s all love, now watch me ascend

And if I see you, swear to God I’m gonna shake your hand

Yeah, ooh, ooh

So this how we gon' be

Yeah, uh, yeah, uh-huh, wait

Just little John, working so hard to be an idol

Trying to be just like Justin and Michael

Memorizing every note for piano recital

Teacher would yell at me, telling me I should read my notes

Uh-huh, yeah, I should read my notes

I remember meeting JT way back in my hometown show, was seventeen

In 2013 you was on tour, before you went on you said to me

«You good boy, you good

I heard you when you sing

You good boy, you good

They tell you not to dance

You should boy, you should

You good boy, you good»

I told him «You're my living idol and I know that it gon' come with the grind

though

Hundred percent in my mind though

How you be hitting them high notes when you still be dancing on

Time though

Haven’t missed a beat, I can’t find one

Never could believe how you glide on 'em, wait (wait)

We talked about you producing my album man

From the executive standpoint we never got the chance

'Cause plans fell through, my deal fell too

To be honest the only reason they kept me on was 'cause of you

'Cause you’re the validation they needed

Thought I was nothing on my own but with you they believed it

But even you started to tell me that at some point you need to be the baddest

motherfucker in the room, don’t conceal it, yeah

Boy, where your confidence at?

You walk up in this room thinking you belong in the back

You think I got to where I am without me leading the pack?

You got more talent in your middle finger than the rest of these cats

Why it don’t make sense, no it don’t make sense

How you be walking 'round acting all tongue twisted

'Cause they don’t listen, treat you like a little kid

But half of it’s your fault, you put up with that shit, I wouldn’t

I shouldn’t, you right man, I shouldn’t

Why am I focusing on the past back when I couldn’t

Get out of my own head, so scared what people gonna think

Thank you brother for your honest opinion

I ain’t seen you in a minute but I know you been winning

Heard you missed a few shows, homie get well soon

And if you ever need a friend I’ll be there for you too

I’m out

(And if you ever need a friend I’ll be there for you too)

I’m out

The biggest thank you of all, Sir Robert Bryson Hall

If you had never called, don’t know where I’d have gone

You passed me the baton, showing me the greatness

While all my dreams had already burned down in flames and

My parents told me I should go to college

«You're not that far behind, we can start you in the fall time

And get you a degree, it’s gon' be alright

We’re so tired of seeing you cry, it’s gon' be alright»

Yeah, I always had the perseverance

Since I was a kid man, I knew that I was fearless

But it’s the first time that somebody broke my spirit

Screaming at the top of my lungs, but no one hear it, except you

The older brother that I never had

The only voice of hope when I thought everything was bad

The only one who told me «You can beat this, you can do this, pull through this

Fuck anybody and everybody who said you can’t

Now look around, you got the whole world singing like

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life

Yeah, I always knew that you would make it when the time’s right

Damn, «I used to wonder what it feel like»

Love you, Bobby