I think there are a LOT of men and women out there who have felt stuck, trapped, empty and alone; even while being right next to someone else.  Someone who for whatever reason can't or won't give you what you need to feel alive.  If they were cheaters or liars, then maybe leaving would be easy. But what if it's someone whose just "broken" and you realize you can't "fix" them, no matter how hard you've tried?  What if that someone doesn't even comprehend what it means to be close, to be emotionally intimate with you without saying or doing something to sabotage things? And when do you call it quits and escape? A year? 5 years? A decade, or how about 13 years?  13 years of knowing the day they they married you, that it was because they thought you were a nice person, maybe someone who could provide, while at the same time, feeling NO PASSION for you, because they are still in love with the GHOST of someone they have promoted to sainthood when they pass away? A person can't compete against ghosts. Or the continuing thoughts and feelings for someone else, while they are right there in front of you.  This song addresses the need to break free when YOU KNOW, in your heart, 100%, that this person will never change, because they CAN'T -- because they're broken.  

[Lyrics]
Survival Instinct 

[Verse1]
I’ve been planning my escape, gotta break these chains,  
Cleaning out the memory, all the hurt and pains.  
Her scars run deep, too deep to mend,  
But Intimacy's like air to me, and she just can’t comprehend.  
  
[Prechorus1]
I’ve given my all, but I’m fading away,  
Her ghosts are her captives, I can’t take away.  
I need to remember my heart has a voice,  
And breaking these chains is my only choice.  

[Chorus]  
More than a decade of rejection, is just too much,  
Resentment fills my heart, for a stranger I can't touch.  
Friends and family, please don't judge, just understand my plea,  
It's my survival instinct that's driving me to break free.  

  
[Verse2]
She was too young to resist, too broken to be whole,  
I thought love could fix her heart, now it’s crushing my soul.  
She's stuck with the memories that haunt her everyday,  
All the ghosts of her past have locked her heart away.  

  
[Prechorus2]
God knows I don't blame her, for all she had to endure.  
But she's an unemotional taker, and I deserve so much more.  
No more ties to the broken, no more tears to release,  
I’m ready to run, to finally find peace.  

  
[Chorus}
More than a decade of rejection, it's just too much,  
Resentment fills my heart, for a stranger I can't touch.  
Friends and family, please don't judge, just understand my plea,  
It's my survival instinct that's driving me to break free.  

  
[Bridge]
I need a brand-new start, a life that feels alive,  
I can’t compete with the ghosts she won’t let go; I need to survive.  

[Outro]  
I’m leaving the shadows, stepping into the dawn,  
The weight of her ghosts will be forever gone.  
A brand-new horizon, a place to begin,  
I’m planning my escape, it’s my peace that I WIN!

Survival Instinct

Love Story

When The Stars Go Blue

A Girl Like You

Port Saint Joe

I Don't Remember Me (Before You)

Tim McGraw has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and dominated the charts with 36 #1 singles.  He's won three Grammy Awards, 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, 10 American Music Awards, three People's Choice Awards and numerous other honors. His iconic career achievements include being named the BDS Most Played Artist of the Decadefor all music genres and having the Most Played Song of the Decade for all music genres with “Something Like That.”  He is the most played Country artist since his debut in 1992, with two singles spending over 10 weeks at #1 (“Live Like You Were Dying” and “Over and Over”). The two-time GRAMMY-nominated “Meanwhile Back at Mama’s” marked Tim’s 54th career Top Ten Hit off his latest album, SUNDOWN HEAVEN TOWN (BigMachine Records). The project also produced the #1 “Shotgun Rider” and “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” featuring Tim’s cousin, Catherine Dunn, marked his 55th career Top Ten Hit. Tim’s latest project, DAMN COUNTRY MUSIC is slated for release November 6. His critically acclaimed acting skills were highlighted in the award winning films Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side. Tim most recently starred in Disney’s Tomorrowland and recently wrapped his headlining SHOTGUN RIDER TOUR. For a complete list of tour dates, visit TimMcGraw.com.
