rank one

Late nights, cold hands, ink stains on my desk

Numbers on a page, they tell me I'm the best

Red marks on my skin, 'cause I scratched too hard

Gotta get ahead, can't fall apart

Eyes burn, but I read through the blur

If I slow down, someone takes my turn

Tired bones, but I’m still on my feet

Second place ain't made for me

Oh, they say, "You're doing fine, take a break sometime"

But they don't see the ghosts that I keep inside

Every grade’s a promise, every test’s a fight

If I let it go, who am I?

I wanna be the rank one, the only name they write

Carve my name into the top, like I own the sky

But it’s lonely at the summit, ain't no hand to hold

Just a shadow in the mirror whispering, "You’re getting old"

Another gold star, another empty win

Mama says she's proud, but she don’t know where I’ve been

Clock ticking down, but I don’t feel time

Only see the numbers, gotta make 'em mine

If I sleep, do I lose?

If I stop, am I through?

I don’t know what I’d be

If I wasn’t chasing me

I wanna be the rank one, the only name they write

Carve my name into the top, like I own the sky

But it’s lonely at the summit, ain't no hand to hold

Just a shadow in the mirror whispering, "You’re getting old"

Oh, I’m so tired, but I can’t let go

I built my whole world out of test results

And if I’m not the best, then what am I?

Just another ghost in a suit and tie