[Verse 1]
Plastic crown on the kitchen table
Grease stains, late bills, Sable cable
Mama hums hymns, eyes stuck to the window
Praying that the sirens skip our zip code
He was prom king turned corner prophet
Bag full of poison, Bible in the closet
Quoted psalms, palms dusty with the powder
Talked like a king, lived under the tower
"To sell or not to sell" on the staircase
Soliloquy in the smoke, stone-cold face
"All the world a trap house," he laughs low
Every dime bag tight, every dream hollow
[Chorus]
Hold on, mama, don't you break (hold on)
I know this pain like a tidal wave
We in the dark, but a dawn gon' wake
Love in the ruins still saves, still saves
Sing for the babies fast asleep (sing on)
Cries in the hallway, secrets deep
Even if heaven feels out of reach
Love in the ruins still saves, still saves
[Verse 2]
She got three jobs, two kids, one plea
"Lord, keep 'em off that corner, keep 'em free"
Water on the stove for a broke-night bath
Mascara maps where her hope ran past
He slide through late with a pocket full of thunder
Gold on his neck, glass in his numbers
"Ma, I'm good, this the life I chose"
But his voice shake soft when the curtains close
Blood on his sneakers, not his size
News talk slick, mama see through lies
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair," he mutters
Counting all the ghosts in the kitchen clutter
[Chorus]
Hold on, mama, don't you break (hold on)
I know this pain like a tidal wave
We in the dark, but a dawn gon' wake
Love in the ruins still saves, still saves
Sing for the babies fast asleep (sing on)
Cries in the hallway, secrets deep
Even if heaven feels out of reach
Love in the ruins still saves, still saves
[Bridge]
[Choir softer, then swelling]
He says, "What is a man but the mask he wear?"
She says, "What is a prayer but a shattered dare?"
He drops that steel on the kitchen floor
She wraps both arms like a closing door
Streetlight flicker on the family photo
He choking out, "I don't want this logo"
She kiss his forehead, voice like flame
"You not your sins, you more than your name"
[Chorus]
Hold on, mama, don't you break (hold on)
I know this pain like a tidal wave
We in the dark, but a dawn gon' wake
Love in the ruins still saves, still saves
Sing for the babies fast asleep (sing on)
Cries in the hallway, secrets deep
Even if heaven feels out of reach
Love in the ruins still saves, still saves (still saves)