Edge of the Water

Lyrics

[Intro] Cold rain on the courthouse steps A name carried farther than a man could run Then the door shuts And the morning keeps coming [Verse 1] South Brooklyn, old storefront, blinds half drawn Names on the envelopes, rules passed on Uncle kept a Sunday suit pressed in the hall Nobody said much when the black cars called A neighborhood learned what a promise could cost Who came home quiet, who came home lost I watched the headlines turn men into stone Then took the long walk back on my own [Chorus] I left that life at the edge of the water Put down the weight, chose a road going farther No old vows telling me who I must be A new day starts with the choice to stay free [Verse 2] The years don’t vanish when the room goes still You carry the past like a debt to fulfill So I showed up early, kept my word, paid rent Made peace with the hours and the time I had spent A small kitchen table, my daughter’s school page A clean pair of work boots, a brand-new age Made here, by hand, with the truth in the seams No borrowed empire, just ordinary dreams [Chorus] I left that life at the edge of the water Put down the weight, chose a road going farther No old vows telling me who I must be A new day starts with the choice to stay free [Outro] The old block still knows every name But I don’t answer to it the same Morning on the harbor, clear and plain I’m building a life that can carry my name