Hiya Bro Mike!

I've arrived Late as Usual, Alas...but Listened, Penned Comments, & have scanned a few of the Critiques (Saving Harriet's for after I've posted This, so I'll perhaps not be Too-Brilliant here, but I'll at least be honest. It's all JMO, of course, as is everyone's Crit.)

Think it was Shakespeare who said "Most people live lives of quiet desperation"...(So What's Here has been Said Before.) Still, you've said it Well..or at least presented Your CASE pretty well..(Though I'll come back to debate a key line of yours later.)

The Music feels Popsy Beatles-Influenced, while Lyrics were more on the SoundGarden "Black Hole Sun" side...(As I notice Others Have Mentioned here, so I'm not alone on this "Connection" methinks.) Chorus was Distinct & Catchy & Hook was There, tho it got Equal Time with "Ball & Chain"...so ya might wanna add a last line with Hook in it to clear up Confusion.

The PreChorus' "Transparent Cage" IS quite an Image, but (to this Scuba Enthusiast) requires a TON of Visualizing & Mental-Math to figure out How Thick It Has To Be to sink a diver (with its "weight")..How would they SEAL it..too-thin, it's kickable/breakable..etc.-etc. "Transparent" is frankly kinda Distractive, JMO.

"Feels like a cage surrounding me" would suffice with way less Headscratching..perhaps?

LIKE your "Hundred miles the other way" line..THAT one's quite effective Image-Wise.

All-in-all, it's a decent angst-filled song that's not as TOTALLY-hopeless as say, Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction". Your last line nicely sums up all those Acne-Filled Years: "Need to get a life before it passes by, hope it's not too late."

Now, the line I wanna debate ya on:
"Living with a choice we make does not make it right".

I don't think life is made up of all "Right" or "Wrong" Choices.
Every fork in life's road leads SOMEPLACE, & True, SOME places ARE better than others. But.."Contentment" can actually end up making you FAR-Happier than "Achievement" in life, especially if, God Forbid, one's set their sights up Way-TOO-High.

I know of a local Nightclub Singer, now comfortably-retired, who shunned chances to "be a Star" in L.A.--& preferred singing over his piano..to a Tampa Crowd..for over 30 years. Came from a small W.Va Coalmining Town.. "When people ask me why I didn't try to get Further Ahead, it's because they didn't realize How Far I've Come" was a quote of his I've never forgotten. His Choice..& I think that DID make it right..for him. Pat Cole Henry..one of the Nicest, Happiest, Most-Talented Entertainers I've ever met. (Taught me a Lot!)

Good Luck with your song...tho it's too much of a "lament" for me to "enjoy" it..on a personal level.

Big Guy-Hug,
Stan