Layoff Blues (Hold It Together)

[Verse 1]
Alarm rang
thought, "Yeah, today I'm straight"
Fresh shirt
coffee in a paper cup, late
Humming in the hallway
keycard at the gate
Same jokes
same chair
same cheap birthday cake
Boss called, "Close the door"
heart hit the floor
Mouth moved slow
"I gotta let you go"
Box on the desk
I just stared at the stapler
Trying not to beg
Trying not to ask for a savior
Walked past folks
packing my dreams in a carton
They said, "You okay?"
I lied, "I'm just starting"
Parking lot wind
cold in the middle of May
That walk to the car
felt a thousand miles away
[Chorus]
Got those layoff blues
and a smile I can't afford
Gotta walk in strong
like I'm still the lord
of this little house
with the peeling paint door
Got those layoff blues
hiding in my jaw
Tell my baby and my wife
"Everything's alright"
when I know it ain't true at all
(oh, I'm holding, holding on)
With these layoff blues
and a front that’s bound to fall
[Verse 2]
Steering wheel shaking
knuckles turning white
Rehearsing in my head
how to dress this up light
"Downsizing, sweetheart
they said it's not me"
Like if I wrap it in sugar
she won't taste the grief
Driveway gravel
sounded loud under tires
Front porch light
buzzing over worn-out wires
Key in the lock
heartbeat tap in my chest
Thought, "Last time I came home
I still had a safety net"
She kissed my cheek
baby boy in her arms
Said, "How was your day?"
like the world wasn't harmed
I laughed too quick
said, "Same old, long"
She heard that crack
in my made-up song
[Chorus]
Got those layoff blues
and a smile I can't afford
Gotta walk in strong
like I'm still the lord
of this little house
with the peeling paint door
Got those layoff blues
hiding in my jaw
Tell my baby and my wife
"Everything's alright"
when I know it ain't true at all
(oh, I'm holding, holding on)
With these layoff blues
and a front that’s bound to fall
[Bridge]
Yeah
I’m a broke man
in a button-down costume
Carrying this cardboard coffin
through the living room
Baby boy giggles
reaches out for my face
Doesn't know I just lost
my place in the race
His fingers grab my thumb
like I'm some kind of giant
Tears start running
I can't keep 'em quiet
Turn my head quick
wipe 'em on my sleeve
Say, "Daddy just tired"
'cause he can't say, "Daddy can't breathe"
[Chorus]
Got those layoff blues
and a smile I can't afford
Gotta walk in strong
like I'm still the lord
of this little house
with the peeling paint door
Got those layoff blues
hiding in my jaw
Tell my baby and my wife
"Everything's alright"
when I know it ain't true at all
(yeah, I'm holding, holding on)
With these layoff blues
and a front that’s bound to fall
[Outro]
[Beat drops to bare bass and brushes, close-up vocal]
So I rock my son slow
kiss his soft, small head
Pray for a job
in a whisper I never said
to them
'Cause they need my strength
like a roof from the rain
And I’m bleeding on the inside
smiling through the pain

rap, Smoky minor-key blues band with male vocals; dusty upright piano and slide guitar under a slow, swung groove. Verses lean into spoken-word rap over a stripped kit and walking bass, then the chorus opens up with gravelly sung blues, organ swells, and a distant gospel-style response. Final section drops to near-whisper, just voice, bass, and brushes, letting the hurt and tension sit in the air., blues