We Chose the Work

Lyrics

[Intro] You keep a ledger of the years you can’t reclaim We made a choice; we don’t answer to the same game [Verse 1] You keep receipts folded deep in your coat Every old slight gets a line and a quote Rehearse the dispute till the details go thin While the door you could open stays bolted within I took the long route, learned the weight of a trade Missed calls, cold dinners, the dues that I paid You’re still at the table, re-dealing the past I’m stacking small wins till the slow ones can last [Chorus] You spending your time plotting on what everyone has forgotten Focused on revenge, while the rest of us getting ends You’re guarding old damage like it’s all you were given We’re building a life with the hours we’re living You spending your time plotting on what everyone has forgotten Focused on revenge, while the rest of us getting ends [Verse 2] You want one clean moment where the whole room admits That you were the wronged one, the wound never quits But rent wants a number; the clock wants a plan And pride doesn’t carry what work really can I know every late shift, the grit in the sleeve The names on the list that I crossed off to breathe No crown, no applause, just a key that now turns A lesson you dodge is a lesson that burns [Bridge] Let it sit, let it pass Not every old spark needs a match Take that breath, take that step There’s a life past the debt [Chorus] You spending your time plotting on what everyone has forgotten Focused on revenge, while the rest of us getting ends You’re guarding old damage like it’s all you were given We’re building a life with the hours we’re living You spending your time plotting on what everyone has forgotten Focused on revenge, while the rest of us getting ends [Outro] The past keeps calling; we don’t have to answer We chose the work. We chose what comes after.