THE FOOL

Lyrics

[Intro - spoken, deep raspy narrator voice, slow, over music box] The fool doesn't see his steps as brave He never counts the cost at the end of the day He's too far gone from hindsight To ever look back [Verse 1 - rap, low, confessional] They tell me slow down, sit still, reflect But sittin' still is where the demons collect Every time I stopped, I heard my brother's name Every time I stopped, I reached back for the flame So I keep walkin' with a limp and a grin Dusty on my shoulder sayin' "go again" They call me reckless 'cause I won't stay put But they ain't never had a ghost on every foot [Pre-Hook - sung, soft, rising] If I stop, I sink If I think, I drown So I keep these feet light And they never touch down [Hook - sung, hypnotic, layered harmonies] Call me a fool, call me a fool I'd rather be movin' than broken like you You're buildin' your regrets brick by brick I'm walkin' on the wall while you're layin' it thick Call me a fool, call me a fool At least I'm still free, at least I'm still true You stand in the ruins of what you never did I'm a fool, but I lived [Spoken Break - narrator voice, slow, deliberate] He wants to be part of it Rather than watch someone else have all the fun While he builds his regrets... Brick... by brick [Verse 2 - rap, sharper, more pressure] I done stood in one place, it was a cell with no bars Stared at the ceiling till I counted the scars Bottle on the nightstand whisperin' "stay" Stillness ain't peace when it's just a slower decay So I chose the road, wrong turns and all Bleedin' through the boots, but I never once crawled They want me humble, they want me afraid I already died once and came back from the grave [Pre-Hook - sung] If I stop, I sink If I think, I drown So I keep these feet light And they never touch down [Hook - sung, bigger, full stack] Call me a fool, call me a fool I'd rather be movin' than broken like you You're buildin' your regrets brick by brick I'm walkin' on the wall while you're layin' it thick Call me a fool, call me a fool At least I'm still free, at least I'm still true You stand in the ruins of what you never did I'm a fool, but I lived [Beat Switch - rap, aggressive, distorted 808s, rusty chain sound] (tick, tick, tick) Clock on the wall, but I ain't on the clock Saw that light in the hallway, then my heart restart Every brick that you stack is a wall that you chose I been kickin' 'em down, got the dust in my clothes You can laugh at the fool, you can pity the fool But the fool still breathin' when the smart ones get cooled Ain't no game I can lose if I'm still on my feet Ain't no trap I can't walk out, I'm too light to keep [Bridge - sung, stripped, piano and one vocal] Maybe I'm a fool for hopin' Maybe I'm a fool for growin' Maybe I'm a fool for livin' at all But I'd rather fall runnin' Than stand there and crawl [Final Hook - sung, slow, half-time, aching] Call me a fool, call me a fool Grandkids call me Gramps, and that's my proof You built your regrets brick by brick I took every one and built a bridge I'm a fool... But I lived [Outro - spoken, narrator voice, whispered at the end] The fool doesn't need to be still His feet are light enough To carry him home (stay free...) [End]