We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

This Is My 23 (Original Version)

by Val Merza

supported by
RF20XX - Jonny G.
RF20XX - Jonny G. thumbnail
/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.
    Purchasable with gift card

      name your price

     

about

Most of us who have been 23 have struggled with lack of self-awareness, heartbreak, insecurity and the countless other growing pains that come with being in our early twenties. Sometimes those pains start earlier. And sometimes they last into our thirties. That doesn’t mean you’re failing or “behind”; it means you’re human. So no matter who you are, this song is for you.

lyrics

Not too long ago when I'd get home
I'd find my mother at the door
She'd be worried if I got home past eight
But lately I've been staying out till four
I used to be afraid of strangers
Wouldn't even try to talk to my neighbors
'Cause of all those stories in the papers all year
But now I get into strangers' cars
And I meet them when I'm out at bars
And I tell them my place ain't too far from here

I feel too much and I talk too little and
When my friends fight, I get caught in the middle
But no one said it would get more simple at all
I'm messy and impulsive and I'm quick to judge
Got a habit of falling in and out of love
But it's all just a part of growing up, you see
This is just my 23
Oh, this is just my 23

Half my friends are married with kids and the other half
Still gotta ask their parents to go out past 10
Half my friends, they hate the drama
But the other half, it's like high school never ends
And dating is such a fucking pain
Guys in their 20's, they're all insane
But guys in their 30's play the same old games
It's like nothing ever fucking changes
I look to my girl who just got engaged
And I can't help but feel a bit ashamed
But I know that our timelines ain't the same and that's okay

'Cause I feel too much and I talk too little and
When my friends fight, I get caught in the middle
But no one said it would get more simple at all
I'm messy, impulsive, I'm quick to judge
Got a habit of falling in and out of love
But it's all just a part of growing up, you see
This is just my 23
Oh, this is just my 23

I may not have everything I wanted
But just two years ago I put myself through college and
I made friends I can only hope won't forget me
I'm on my way to better things
Is it a better job, is it a diamond ring?
'Cause no matter what this life may bring, I'm ready

I love too hard and I just get burned
But sometimes, I guess it takes a couple times to learn
'Cause I believe "I love you"s even when they're slurred
And I know over time it's only gonna get so much fucking worse
I'm stupid and naïve but I'll be fine
On someone else's timeline, I might be behind, but I
Think I'm doing just great on mine, you see
This is just my 23
Oh, this is just my 23
We've all been 23
This is just my 23

credits

released July 7, 2023
Produced by Zac Robins and Val Merza

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Val Merza image

Val Merza Charlotte, North Carolina

Hailing from Bergen County, New Jersey, Val Merza is a force to be reckoned with. With a passion for songwriting and connecting with others through powerful, illustrative storytelling, Val captures all facets of the human experience and highlights the ways in which we are far more similar than we are different. ... more

shows

contact / help

Contact Val Merza

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Report this track or account

If you like Val Merza, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring interviews with LA music scene pillar Kamasi Washington, and new London-based duo Mrcy.

listen now