[Intro] [Engine rev, tire screech, buried siren] [Verse 1] You know the stairwell, chipped green paint Fourth-floor buzzer with the wire half frayed I keep my coat buttoned, jaw set tight You read the whole room before you say goodnight We came up counting change by the laundromat You kept the grocery list folded in your cap Now every promise gets weighed at the door You want the truth, so I leave nothing on the floor [Chorus] Hold your ground when the whole block turns We take the long way, let the old bridge burn You call my name, I answer plain No borrowed crown, no borrowed chain [Verse 2] You saw the thin walls, the paint peeled back The neighbor’s radio leaking through the cracks You never asked me to soften the facts Just said, “Come through,” and you watched my back A paper cup, cold coffee, bus rolling by Your hand on the rail as the doors sighed wide If we leave, we leave with the truth in our hands If we stay, we stand where the old steps land [Chorus] Hold your ground when the whole block turns We take the long way, let the old bridge burn You call my name, I answer plain No borrowed crown, no borrowed chain [Bridge] You got that sideways smile, I know what it means We cut through the market past crates of greens One look from you and the whole world slows You say, “Not yet,” and I say, “I know” [Final Chorus] Hold your ground when the whole block turns We take the long way, let the old bridge burn You call my name, I answer plain No borrowed crown, no borrowed chain [Outro] You know the stairwell, chipped green paint I still come back when you call my name
