[Verse 1 - Gravel voiced]
I walk this road with my shadow long,
Boots drag truth where I did wrong.
Every step, a nail I drove,
Built my peace outta smoke and stone.
I don’t pray much, don’t talk too loud,
But I’ll stand when they call me out.
And if Saint Peter’s watchin’ me,
He’s seen a man tryin’ not to bleed.
[Chorus]
This is the weight I chose,
A crown of rust and a heavy soul.
You don’t get clean from the dirt you know,
You just walk slower when the wind gets cold.
I ain’t askin’ for a robe or rose,
Just let me carry the weight I chose.
[Verse 2]
I’ve built a present from my sins,
Stacked regret like discipline.
Told some lies I can’t unsay,
Left some love in shallow graves.
But I ain’t hidin’ in disguise —
These scars got names and alibis.
If there’s a reckoning up ahead,
I’ll walk to it like a man who’s bled.
[Chorus – Heavier, darker]
This is the weight I chose,
Not a curse, just a debt I owe.
Ain’t no angel gonna plead my case,
But I’ll meet that gate with a steady face.
No excuses, no sweet repose —
Just the bones beneath the weight I chose.
[Bridge – Gritty spoken word over fingerpicking]
Don’t ask for mercy I never gave.
Don’t ask for clean where I left stains.
I’m just a man with a soul half-broke...
And a name that still holds smoke.
[Final Chorus – Raspy, broken, proud]
This is the weight I chose,
It’s the fire I fed, it’s the field I sowed.
Let the saints decide what I become,
I walked this path, I don’t need to run.
Let the earth cry out when my story’s closed...
I’ll go down carryin’ the weight I chose.
[Outro – Faint guitar, whispered final line]
And I’ll carry it alone...
All the way home.
BrandonJamesBand
