The Choices We Make

Lyrics

[ C: ] You said that you had things to teach me And now, I see it all so clear We're led, each moment that we live in To the only choice we're given Where we live by love or fear And you, you knew it's never easy It's never black or white, just shades of gray All we do is face up to those choices And obey our inner voices And hope we find our way And all the choices we make Will shapе our lives forever Evеry path we take When push comes down to shove Every moment counts It's always now or never And although God knows You chose the life you chose I'm here because just what You chose to love [ SPOKEN: ] Dad, what are you doing here? [ LORENZO, SPOKEN: ] I'm here to pay my respects to your friend, son Thanks for saving my boy's life, Sonny I never hated you I guess I just never forgave you for making my son grow up so fast May God have mercy on your soul [ LORENZO: ] And now, your whole life lies before you It's time that you become a man You'll know how, just look at what's inside you And let your talent guide you Like I've always known you can [ C & LORENZO: ] And though the choices we make Will shape our lives forever Even one mistake Can tear your world apart But we have a bond that nothing's gonna sever Through the good and bad The happy and the sad Everywhere you go Look to your heart [ C: ] I love you, Dad And I'm sorry if I ever hurt you [ LORENZO, SPOKEN: ] I love you too, son [ C, SPOKEN: ] I left the neighborhood after that It wasn't the same without Sonny [ LORENZO: ] This is a Bronx Tale, it's just another story [ C, SPOKEN: ] I had to say goodbye to Jane But she'll always be my first great one [ JANE: ] This is the kind of tale that makes you laugh and cry [ C, SPOKEN: ] I went out into the world and I kept my promise I became somebody I owe that to my parents and to Sonny [ C'S MOTHER & LORENZO ] Out on the street They're singing it together [ C's MOTHER, LORENZO, JANE, & C: ] They'll be singing it forever You can hear them if you try [ MUSIC ] [ C: ] I still come back from time to time The neighborhood's changed And so have I But I will never forget what I learned from those two men The saddest thing in life is wasted talent And the choices you make will shape your life forever But you can ask anybody from my neighborhood and they'll tell you This is just another Bronx tale [ ENSEMBLE: ] And all the choices we make Become part of our story Every joy and ache They're never truly gone Every name, every face All the hope, the tears, the glory Every stoop and street Each win and each defeat The sinners and the saints The sweet and bittersweet And when the tale's complete You've chosen who you are [ C: ] And those choices you made [ ENSEMBLE: ] Live on [ C: ] This is a Bronx tale And that's my story The world I lived in The people I knew It's just a Bronx tale And like they all do It happened here on Belmont Avenue