Tolerance Limits

[Verse 1]
He clocks in at 6 AM sharp
Coffee stain on his name tag
Grease on his hands
Ring on his finger
Watching the conveyor drag
She’s there at the end of the line
Hair tied back
Pen in her teeth
Checking every part like a heartbeat
Catching every flaw beneath
[Chorus]
She’s checking parts
He’s running machines
But she’s looking past the numbers on the screen
He laughs it off
Says “I’ve got a wife”
Still they’re staying late
Trading little pieces of their life
Counting scratches
Counting lies
Under buzzing lights and tired eyes
She’s quality control
But she can’t control
What’s slipping through between their lives
[Verse 2]
Breakroom smells like burnt toast
Old coffee
Old inside jokes
She brushes metal dust from his shoulder
Says
“You work too much
You know”
He talks about his kids’ science fair
Shows pictures on a cracked phone glass
She leans in too long
Too close
He doesn’t pull back fast
[Chorus]
She’s checking parts
He’s running machines
But she’s looking past the numbers on the screen
He laughs it off
Says “I’ve got a wife”
Still they’re staying late
Trading little pieces of their life
Counting scratches
Counting lies
Under buzzing lights and tired eyes
She’s quality control
But she can’t control
What’s slipping through between their lives
[Bridge]
One Friday night
Storm on the roof
They’re the last ones out on the floor
She says
“You don’t have to go home yet”
He doesn’t make it to the door (oh no)
Wedding band turns on his skin
Feels heavy as a cinder block
But he leaves it in his locker
And he follows when she walks
[Chorus]
She’s checking parts
He’s running machines
Now they’re tangled up in someone else’s dream
He bites his lip
Can’t say “I’m done”
But he knows that line you cross
You can’t outrun
Counting scratches
Counting lies
In the dark she shuts her eyes
She’s quality control
But she can’t control
The fracture running through their lives
[Outro]
Morning shift
Fluorescent hum
He puts the ring back on his hand
She signs off on another box
Says
“Pass or fail?” and he just stands
There’s a mark you can’t erase
Stamped deep where no one sees
Some parts break under pressure
Some fail quietly

Moody midtempo pop with a hint of country storytelling; male vocals. Clean electric guitar and warm bass carry the verses, kick and rim-clicks under a hushed groove. Chorus opens with brighter chords, airy pads, and a subtle harmony stack for the hook. Bridge strips back to voice and guitar, then full band swells for the final chorus, riding a lingering, unresolved chord.