Track 4 from their second album "Don't Look Back" released in 1978 copyright Epic Records. It was mostly recorded at Tom Scholz's Hideaway Studio in Boston, with the piano for the song "A Man I'll Never Be" recorded at Northern Studio in Maynard, Massachusetts near Boston. With the massive success of their debut album, the band was under tremendous pressure from the record company to repeat the golden goose effect. Although it had been two years since they released new music, Scholz was a perfectionist and as the producer he felt that he had been rushed into releasing the album before he was completely satisfied with it. This was the beginning of a developing animosity between artist and label. The title song reached No. 4 on the Billboard chart and the album sold a million copies in the first ten days. It received average reviews and reached No. 18 in Italy, No. 17 in New Zealand, No. 14 in Finland, No. 13 in France, No. 10 in the Netherlands, No. 9 in Norway and the U.K., No. 8 in Sweden and Australia, No. 6 in Japan and No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada. It was certified Silver in the U.K., 4X Platinum in Canada and 7X Platinum in the U.S. Written and produced by Tom Scholz. RIP Brad Delp & Sib Hashian. Featuring:
Brad Delp - Lead vocals, acoustic guitars, piano, tambourine & background vocals
Tom Scholz - Lead, rhythm, 12-string & acoustic guitars, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, bass, hands & cans
Barry Goudreau - Slide & rhythm guitars, lead guitars on "The Journey", "Used to Bad News" & "Don't Be Afraid," co-lead guitar on "Don't Look Back"
Fran Sheehan - Bass & percussion
Sib Hashian - Drums & percussion
Special Guests:
Rob Rosati - Hands & cans
Cindy Scholz - Hands & cans
Gloria - Hands & cans
If I said what's on my mind you'd turn and walk away
Disappearing way back in your dreams
It's so hard to be unkind, so easy just to say
That everything is just the way it seems
You look up at me
And somewhere in your mind you see
A man I'll never be
If only I could find a way
(I'd feel like I'm the man you believe I am)
It's gettin' harder every day for me
To hide behind this dream you see, a man I'll never be
I can't get any stronger and I can't climb any higher
You'll never know just how hard I've tried
Cry a little longer and hold a little tighter
Emotions can't be satisfied
You look up at me
And somewhere in your mind you see
A man I'll never be
If only I could find a way
(I'd feel like I'm the man you believe I am)
And it gets harder every day for me
To hide behind this dream you see (a man I'll never be)
I can't get any stronger and I can't climb any higher
You'll never know just how hard I've tried
Cry a little longer and hold a little tighter
Emotions can't be satisfied, oh
(You look up at me)
(And somewhere in your mind you still see)
(A man I'll never be) oh
If only I could find a way
(I'd feel like I'm the man you believe I am)
And it gets harder every day for me
I can't keep hidin' this feelin'