(Music starts with a heavy, driving guitar riff. The duality of the rap/rock structure is maintained.)
Verse 1 (Rap - Hard, Fast-Paced)
Yo, the fluorescent hum is the rhythm of my hell,
Clocking in at ten, when the rest of the world dwells
In peace, but I'm grinding, watching the bridge burn.
Night shift lights, they cut right through the bone,
My two little stars, asleep in our home.
Mazy and Maverick, my dynamic duo team,
The only anchor pulling me out of a bad dream.
I’m running on fumes, chasing the dollar sign,
Trying to build them a kingdom that's truly divine.
Single income pressure, it’s a constant, tight vice,
So Mom can be there, to keep their paradise nice.
But the lack of sleep, man, it twists up my wires,
Short fuse lit quick, sparking internal fires.
Pre-Chorus (Rhythm slows, guitar arpeggios)
I walk through the door, the shadows start to lift,
Holding onto the trauma of the past like a gift... I don't want.
I fight it tooth and nail.
"God, please, don't let me fail."
Chorus (Sung - Melodic, Powerful, High Emotion)
(Full band explodes: heavy drums, distorted guitars, soaring vocals)
> OH, THESE MIDNIGHT SHIFTS ARE BREAKING ME DOWN,
> I WEAR THE WEIGHT OF THIS WHOLE DAMN TOWN.
> I SEE MY OLD MAN'S EYES WHEN I RAISE MY VOICE,
> BUT I SWORE MY CHILDREN WOULD HAVE A CHOICE!
> GIMME ONE SMILE, GIMME ONE TIGHT HUG,
> YOU ARE THE REASON I PULL THIS PLUG!
> MY LITTLE M&MS, MY LIGHT IN THE DARK,
> MAZY AND MAVERICK, YOU'RE MY BRAND NEW START!
>
Verse 2 (Rap - Slower, Reflective, Personal)
They ask for the new console, the shoes, the clothes,
I swallow the "no," the lump in my throat grows.
I clean the worn-out carpet, paint over the cracks,
Trying to erase the bad memories from the tracks.
My childhood was rage, a house built on shame,
I rip out the script, I change the whole game.
But the ghosts still linger, I snap over spilled milk,
And watch their faces fall, softer than silk.
The shame is a poison, right under my tongue,
I hate that I failed them the moment that word was sprung.
But then Mazy runs up, and Maverick grabs my knee,
That pure, perfect love, man, it sets my soul free.
They don't see the worry, the exhaustion, the dread,
Just the hero who put the roof over their head.
Outro (Rap whispers over fading guitar)
Just tryin' to give them the world...
Hoping they don't get stuck in mine...
Keep that smile, kids... keep that smile...
DadCookie
