[Verse 1]
Wake up to boots on tile
Same hard face, same forced smile
Ranks on the wall like teeth
Everybody learns to eat
Say sir, say yes, stay small
Swallow the heat in the hall
Orders come sharp, cut clean
Leave your doubts in between
I got a storm in my skull
Can’t tell what’s real from the pull
Hands on my collar, one more time
Heavy words in my mind
They call it discipline, I call it stress
Late-night checks and the chest pressed
I’m standing tall, but I’m split in two
Trying to keep my nerve for you
[Pre-Chorus]
Hold it in
Don’t let it show
Bite it back
Stay in line and go
[Chorus]
Chain of command, chain of command
I’m trying to stand where they told me to stand
Chain of command, chain of command
But my own mind keeps slipping my hand
Chain of command, chain of command
I’m trying to breathe in this iron sand
Chain of command, chain of command
You push too hard, I may not land
[Verse 2]
Long days, short fuse, bare bones
Too many voices, too many tones
Every mistake gets carved in stone
Every bad mood becomes the zone
Lead from the front, they preach so loud
But break a man just to build a crowd
Turn a little fear into a whole machine
Now I can’t sleep with what I’ve seen
Flash of a moment, then it’s gone
Still it keeps hitting all night long
Thoughts like sirens, thoughts like smoke
I laugh it off, but I’m close to broke
I want to serve, I want to be real
Not every scar is a badge I feel
If you keep pushing when I’m already bent
Don’t act surprised when the line gets spent
[Pre-Chorus]
Hold it in
Don’t let it show
Bite it back
Stay in line and go
[Chorus]
Chain of command, chain of command
I’m trying to stand where they told me to stand
Chain of command, chain of command
But my own mind keeps slipping my hand
Chain of command, chain of command
I’m trying to breathe in this iron sand
Chain of command, chain of command
You push too hard, I may not land
[Bridge]
I’m not weak for shaking
I’m not soft for saying
The pressure gets loud
And the dark starts swaying
If you want my edge
Don’t make it a cage
I’m still a soldier
Not a loaded rage
[Final Chorus]
Chain of command, chain of command
I’m trying to stand where they told me to stand
Chain of command, chain of command
But my own mind keeps slipping my hand
Chain of command, chain of command
I’m trying to breathe in this iron sand
Chain of command, chain of command
You push too hard, I may not land