[Verse 1]
Rent went up but the check stayed thin,
I’m patchin’ holes with a bottle and a grin.
They said work hard and you’ll be alright —
Now I’m burnin’ out under flickering lights.
Gas keeps risin’, food runs low,
Job says “loyal,” then lets folks go.
Tryin’ to pray, tryin’ to plan,
But every day I feel less like a man.
[Chorus]
Straight line’s hard to find
When the rules keep movin’ and the clocks ain’t kind.
They tell me “keep your head held high,”
But I’m knee-deep just tryin’ to survive.
Ain’t lookin’ for gold, just a place to breathe,
But the weight gets heavy when the world don’t see.
Lord knows I try, but I’m fallin’ behind —
Straight line’s hard to find.
[Verse 2]
Factory’s closed, store turned chain,
I do odd jobs just to numb the strain.
Credit cards and empty shelves,
Tryin’ not to lose myself.
Politicians talk like they understand,
But I ain’t seen help from no suit’s hand.
So I grind and I bend and I carry this load,
Tryin’ not to break on this uphill road.
[Chorus – Stronger, louder]
Straight line’s hard to find
When the bills stack tall and the hope runs dry.
They say “be strong, keep walkin’ true,”
But the path ain’t paved for folks like you.
I ain’t askin’ for more than I’ve earned —
Just a fire that don’t always burn.
If faith is a bridge, I’m tightropin’ mine —
Straight line’s hard to find.
[Bridge – Quiet and raw]
I don’t need pity, don’t need fame,
Just want tomorrow to call my name.
I’ll keep on swingin’, tired and proud —
But some days I just want out.
[Final Chorus – Let it ring like a flag in the wind]
Straight line’s hard to find
But I ain’t layin’ down, I ain’t losin’ spine.
I’ll walk this mess, I’ll own each scar,
‘Cause the good ain’t gone — just feels far.
Raise a glass for the ones like me,
Still standin’ in this land of the free.
Yeah, we fight, we crawl, we grind...
‘Cause the straight line’s hard to find.
BrandonJamesBand
