Life made me this way

I saw an old friend today hadn't seen in many years
He didn't seem to know me
His eyes weren't very clear
He said he'd been down on his luck
And then he reached out his hand
He didn't ask me for much

He said
I've had good times, bad times
Life's never the same
I never thought it would change
Well, I've been knocked down, spun 'round
I couldn't find my way
I'm standing here before you today
Cause life made me this way

There's a lady that lives down the street
Crippled and alone
Gave most of all her life to those without a home
Well, I've never heard her complain
But I know I've seen her smile
When she starts to explain

I've had good times, bad times
Life's never the same
There's always gonna be change
So, stand up, chin up
It'll be ok
I'm standing here before you today
Cause life made me this way

You can choose to be bitter
You can say it's not fair
You can choose to say that nobody cares
You can change for the better
On the path that you take
When you see the end of the road
Be proud to say

I've had good times, bad times
Life's never the same
There's always gonna be change
So, stand up, chin up
It'll be ok
I just wanna hear you say
Life made me this way