Used Up

Verse 1]

Clock in early, steel toes on,

Same old break room, same old song,

Boss man yellin’, “Need you here,”

Everybody disappears when the work gets weird.

Coverin’ shifts on a Friday night,

Fixin’ mistakes that ain’t even mine,

Carry the weight ‘cause nobody can,

Everybody calls when they need a hand.

Forklift broke? “Go get him.”

Late truck came? “Go send him.”

New kid lost? “He’ll train him.”

Whole damn place run off one man’s patience.

Yeah, they love you when you’re useful,

Pat you on the back when the job gets brutal,

But the second your world starts breakin’ apart,

You find out quick who your people are.

I’m everybody’s lifeline, everybody’s fix,

Everybody’s “brother,” when they need somethin’ fixed,

But when my tank runs dry and my whole world hurts,

Ain’t nobody answerin’, ain’t nobody there first.

Spent my whole life carryin’ everybody else,

Burnin’ myself down just to help,

Funny how the strong ones always get used up,

Till there’s nothin’ left but dust.

Mama called sayin’ bills piled high,

Girl walked out sayin’ “You never got time,”

Phone full of numbers but nobody picks up,

Guess “How you doin’?” ain’t enough.

Back still achin’ from overtime weeks,

Smilin’ through hell so nobody sees,

Break room jokin’, “Man, you never quit,”

Truth is I’m too tired to admit…

I been drownin’ slow in silence,

Punchin’ clocks and hidin’ violence,

Against my own head every damn day,

Tryin’ not to let the pressure make me break.

Yeah, they love you when you’re useful,

Need your strength but ignore your bruises,

Soon as you ask for a little support,

Everybody suddenly too important.

I’m everybody’s lifeline, everybody’s fix,

Everybody’s “brother,” when they need somethin’ fixed,

But when my tank runs dry and my whole world hurts,

Ain’t nobody answerin’, ain’t nobody there first.

Spent my whole life carryin’ everybody else,

Burnin’ myself down just to help,

Funny how the strong ones always get used up,

Till there’s nothin’ left but dust.

Maybe one day I’ll stop sayin’ yes,

Stop carryin’ pain I never deserved,

‘Cause even a workhorse breaks eventually,

And iron hearts still hurt.

Now I’m learnin’ how to stand for myself,

Can’t save the world while killin’ my health,

If they only love me for the work I do,

Then maybe I got nothin’ left to prove.

Yeah, I was everybody’s lifeline, everybody’s fix,

Till I realized I deserve more than this,

And if nobody’s there when my sky turns dark,

Then I’ll become my own damn spark.

Clock out late… parking lot rain…

Another tired man drivin’ home again…

Still survivin’…

Even when nobody notices.