The Fee

מילים

[Intro] Wind combs the dunes; a loose canvas snaps. A far-off bell fades, then the drums arrive. [Verse 1] You count the folded bills beside the tea, I take the night road where the bargains breathe. A name, a price, a door left open wide, I tell myself the ledger picks a side. Gold dust sticks beneath my thumbnail’s edge, Your little brother asks why I don’t sleep. I buy him shoes, I buy myself a lie, Then watch the morning turn the sand to white. [Chorus] You call it fortune; I call it the fee, Cold money buys the life you see on me. I love the rush, the rooms, the polished view, But every velvet curtain keeps a tally too. [Verse 2] You pour the cardamom; the guests all grin, I wear a clean white shirt and tuck it in. The driver keeps his eyes upon the road, The cash sits heavy like a second load. I know the price of every quiet street, And every face that turns when our eyes meet. Still, when the house is full and tables shine, I toast the life that takes a piece of mine. [Chorus] You call it fortune; I call it the fee, Cold money buys the life you see on me. I love the rush, the rooms, the polished view, But every velvet curtain keeps a tally too. [Bridge] You ask if all this gold can make me whole. I change the subject; you can read my face. The wind comes back and combs the empty road, And leaves no mark where I once stood. [Final Chorus] You call it fortune; I call it the fee, Cold money buys the life you see on me. I love the rush, the rooms, the polished view, But every velvet curtain keeps a tally too. [Outro] Wind over sand. The last bill folded, the account still open.