Intro (soft, almost tired) They see the shine. They don’t see the fracture. ⸻ Hook Everybody want the throne Till they feel the splinters Gold look warm from a distance Up close it’s winter Every crown sit crooked On a head that’s been bowed You don’t rise without losing Pieces you won’t talk about You can call it glory now But it came with a sound That echo in empty rooms That’s the cost of a crown ⸻ Verse 1 I remember when ambition Felt like oxygen Now it feel like armor Pressed against my skin I chased horizons Thinking they were freedom Never knew the summit Would be lonelier than the season I traded sleep for vision Silence for composure Smiled through erosion Just to carry my composure I became dependable Which means I couldn’t break Learned how to swallow doubt Before it reached my face They clap for the victories But they don’t sit in the doubt Don’t see the nights I questioned What this climb was about You can’t ask for legacy Without burying ease You can’t ask for stature Without bending your knees ⸻ Hook Everybody want the throne Till they feel the splinters Gold look warm from a distance Up close it’s winter Every crown sit crooked On a head that’s been bowed You don’t rise without losing Pieces you won’t talk about You can call it glory now But it came with a sound That echo in empty rooms That’s the cost of a crown ⸻ Verse 2 I learned that leadership Means absorbing the fracture Being the steady voice While your own heart scatter It means holding grief Without making it public Carrying expectation Without asking for comfort It means watching people Measure you by your peak While you measure yourself By the promises you keep It means missing moments You’ll never retrieve Being physically present But emotionally fatigued I thought greatness was volume Turns out it’s restraint Turns out it’s forgiveness Even when you feel faint It’s choosing integrity When shortcuts appear It’s staying composed When you’re drowning in fear ⸻ Bridge (low, emotional) I didn’t want applause I wanted impact But impact leaves dents You don’t snap back I didn’t want power I wanted protection But protection require More sacrifice than affection ⸻ Final Hook (quieter, heavier) Everybody want the throne Till they feel the splinters Gold look warm from a distance Up close it’s winter Every crown sit crooked On a head that’s been bowed You don’t rise without losing Pieces you won’t talk about They see the height I reached They don’t see the ground They don’t hear the silence That’s the cost of a crown ⸻ Outro (spoken) The crown don’t make you heavy. The responsibility does.

Cost Of A Crown