The Hard Way

If I was smart I would take your advice
But I am not and so I have to think twice
Never a lesson have I learned
Without first being burnedOh, the troubles I've known!
I seem to learn everything the hard way
I'm not old enough to be on my own
But I'm much too old to stayI was about to tell you the truth
All the mistakes of my wasted youth
And why I didn't make it home on time
But you would have thought
I was only lyingI always believed I ran away
But now I know I was told to go
Maybe it's worked out better this way
What could you say I didn't already know?