Dead End Prayers

[Verse 1]
You slam doors
I slam brakes
Kids crying in the hallway
Paper plates, cold steak
I clock in
You clock rage
I'm counting every dollar
You're counting every mistake
I'm scared of the silence
I'm scared when we shout
I don't like who I'm becoming
When we try to work it out (yeah)
[Chorus]
I push myself for you
Till my hands shake, till my chest bruise
I break myself in two
So the kids don't see us lose
I'm standing in this house like a stranger
Walking on eggshells, breathing in anger
If loving you is all that I remember
Why do I feel like I'm dying here?
[Verse 2]
You say "leave"
Then say "stay"
Threats hanging in the kitchen
Like knives we never put away
I'm late home
You don't care why
You just circle every shortfall
Like buzzards in the sky (oh)
I hold them
When you curse
Tell them "Mom and Dad are trying"
While I'm praying it gets worse
Before it gets better
Or just ends first
[Chorus]
I push myself for you
Till my hands shake, till my chest bruise
I break myself in two
So the kids don't see us lose
I'm standing in this house like a stranger
Walking on eggshells, breathing in anger
If loving you is all that I remember
Why do I feel like I'm dying here?
[Bridge]
If I give up, who am I?
If I stay, will I survive?
I'm so tired of choosing sides
Inside my own life (yeah)
[Chorus]
I push myself for you
Till my hands shake, till my chest bruise
I break myself in two
So the kids don't see us lose
I'm standing in this house like a stranger
Whisper to the mirror, "I'll change her"
But the only one I can save is the man here
Who’s terrified, but still right here

rap, Dark trap / emo pop-rap ballad, male vocals. Minimal, moody keys and a distant guitar loop over heavy, half-time drums and 808s. Verses confess in low, close-mic tone; hook opens with layered, slightly detuned harmonies and a wider stereo field. Ad-libs are raw and breathy, reverb tail growing in the chorus. Final hook strips to vocals and bass, letting the fear and exhaustion sit in the silence between hits., emo, pop