The Price of Your Name

Lyrics

[Intro] I counted every receipt, every favor, every scar Asked what a dollar weighs when it takes you where you are [Verse 1] I kept a ledger in my head, not a notebook on the desk Rent due Friday, pride tucked underneath the check Mama said, "Save a little," I was saving face instead Bought a coat for winter, left the heating bill unread The elevator climbed, but my sleep stayed on the floor New keys in my pocket, old worries at the door Friends became appointments, every favor had a fee I bought a wider table, lost the people next to me [Hook] How much does a dollar cost when it buys your name? How much of your peace gets folded in the frame? You can stack it to the ceiling, still be short of what you need If the price is who you are, that's a debt you cannot leave [Verse 2] I saw a kid count coins beneath the grocery-store sign Gave him more than I could spare, then questioned mine Not the number in the wallet, not the balance on the screen It's the hours that disappear, it's the hands you never clean I learned wealth ain't a fortress, it is room to let folks breathe A meal that isn't measured, a promise you can keep So I loosened up my grip, let the money serve the day Kept enough to build tomorrow, gave the rest a better way [Hook] How much does a dollar cost when it buys your name? How much of your peace gets folded in the frame? You can stack it to the ceiling, still be short of what you need If the price is who you are, that's a debt you cannot leave [Bridge] No gold watch can return one hour No tall gate can make regret stay out Count the things that money cannot purchase Then decide what your fortune's about [Outro] I count the cost in mornings, in the people who remain A dollar is just paper till you spend it on your days