Every one of these was written by this generator from a one-line brief, then kept. They are here so you can see what it actually produces before you type anything.
Last Lap
Written from: the coach who never gave up on you
Verse 1
You blew the whistle when I quit,
your voice cracked like dry August heat.
I hear it still on summer nights
when every muscle betrays me.
Chorus
Still running, still running,
past the line that wasn’t mine.
Still running through the pain,
still catching my last breath behind.
Still running, still running,
till the track forgets my name.
Still running through the dark,
still chasing the ghost you made.
Verse 2
You left the clipboard on the fence,
ink running like my Sunday shoes.
Called me back at forty in the rain
when every coach in town said lose.
Bridge
One lap left—just one lap, damn you—
the crowd’s a blur, the finish tape’s a noose.
I don’t win, I don’t care;
I only run because you were crazy enough to stay.
Outro
Legs heavy, lungs on fire,
but the road’s still humming your name.
Still running, still running,
past the point where winners stay.
No More Waiting
Written from: getting the callback
Verse 1
You left the inbox full of red flags
My palm aches from slamming the desk
The coffee went cold while I waited
Your ringtone buzzed like a broken alarm
I’m shouting at the empty hallway
Every reply feels like a brick
Chorus
I’m done with this,
I’m done with this,
I’m done with this,
I’m done with this.
Verse 2
My eyes are heavy under fluorescent glow
The clock ticks slower than my breath
I’ve been pacing the same cracked tile
Your silence settles like dust on the floor
I’m dragging my words through a fog
The weight of waiting turns to fatigue
Bridge
Maybe I’ll close the line, let it fade
Turn the screen off, hear nothing more
It’s quiet now, the echo has left
I’m learning to sit with the stillness
Accepting that the call may never come
Outro
The room feels empty, but I breathe steady
A soft sigh replaces the anger
I watch the night settle over the city
And I let the unanswered ring dissolve
The Weight of the Water
Written from: a river you swam in as a kid
Verse 1
Mud clinging to my shins like a grudge,
father’s prize reel snapped clean in two.
You laughed, said I’d learn how to mend it—
like patching bones is any kind of proof.
Chorus
Oh, the river don’t answer,
just keeps taking and leaving me breathless.
Oh, the river don’t answer,
but I still answer to every ripple it sends.
Oh, the river don’t answer,
just keeps taking and leaving me breathless.
Oh, the river don’t answer,
but I still answer to every ripple it sends.
Verse 2
Afternoon sank slow as a lead weight,
sun glaring off scales we scraped from the bank.
You called it luck. I called it theft.
The water still knows which side I stand.
Bridge
Now the stones I carried in my pockets
fit the hollow of my palm like debt.
I could throw every one back at the current,
watch the river tongue them clean—
I don’t.
Outro
Oh, the river don’t answer,
just keeps taking and leaving me breathless.
Blackout
Written from: the night the power went out
Verse 1
The fuse blew, and the lights gave out
I was in the middle of something, now it's gone without a doubt
I'm stuck here, sweating, with nothing to do
The heat is rising, and so is my anger, it's burning right through
Chorus
Oh, noche oscura, take me away
From this darkness that's here to stay
Oh, noche oscura, I'm lost in the night
With no escape, no end in sight
Verse 2
I've been walking, trying to find some air
But the streets are empty, and the darkness is everywhere
My feet are heavy, my eyes are low
I'm tired of waiting, tired of not knowing when the power will flow
Bridge
Maybe I'll just sit, and let the night take me
Maybe I'll just wait, and see what the morning will be
The stars are shining, but they're far away
I'm stuck here, in this darkness, with nothing to say
Outro
So I'll just sit, in the dark, and wait
For the morning to come, and the light to create
A new day, a new chance, to start again
And maybe, just maybe, the power will come back on, and I'll be free from this pain.
The Register Rings Empty
Written from: the last shift before closing a family shop
Verse 1
March’s sidewalk cracks still hold last week’s rain
Mother’s apron strings tied loose against the ache
Granddad’s ledger penciled thin, no profit left to claim
We’ll sweep the floor, light the last two lamps
Chorus
One more night to hold the door
One more breath before the floor’s swept clean
One more night to hold the door
One more breath before the floor’s swept clean
One last night to hold the door
One breath left before the floor’s swept clean
Verse 2
Did you see how the power flicker hums outside?
Like it’s counting down the minutes left to share
Coffee rings on Formica write a silent will we can’t abide
Still I clock in, still I stand behind the chair
Neon flicker paints a sign we never had to read
Number washed away, but the hours stay the same
Footsteps pause outside—then pass, not knowing what they’ve lost
Door chimes once, a ghost, so we can turn the flame
Bridge
Keys in the register, keys on the wall
Two generations learn the same release—walk away
Outro
Lamps buzz out like old devotion
But the doorframe still remembers weight of shoulders
One more night to hold the door
Last Run on 38
Written from: a car that finally died on the way home
Verse 1
Tires humming like a choir tired of Sundays
Radio still plays the stations we both understood
Mile markers blink like old friends half-remembered
I roll the window down—summer air still good
Chorus
We made it this far
Engine’s got the heart
Last run on 38
We made it this far
Engine’s got the heart
Last run on 38
Verse 2
Temp light dances yellow, then red, then stays awake
I whisper to the dash like it’s you beside me
Heater coughs up dust like memories we can’t shake
Foreign whine answers no
Bridge
Silence grabs the wheel
Clock ticks slow but real
I coast the shoulder speechless
Smell of hot metal, magnolias sweet in the heat
Outro
Engine stops exactly where the porch light meets the blacktop
I sit awhile, keys still warm in my hand
Packing the Wrong Suitcase
Written from: moving out of a flat you never liked
Verse 1
I taped up the boxes labeled kitchen
Your good pans still have cake on the bottom
Landlord says first and last if I bring cash
I counted it twice—still never enough
Chorus
I’m packing the wrong suitcase for the life I’m in
Hoping goodbyes will feel lighter in the end
I’m packing the wrong suitcase for the life I’m in
Hoping goodbyes will feel lighter in the end
I’m packing the wrong suitcase for the life I’m in
Hoping goodbyes will feel lighter in the end
Verse 2
Carpet smells like the takeaway we never finished
Your mama’s roses scratched from the window sill
I kept the tea towel with the holes in the shape of your hands
Now it’s dust in the bag by the kitchen chair
First street I turn down smells like cut grass
No sirens where the neighbors don’t know my name
Your boots still by the door, but they’re not mine to wear
So I close the lid on the wrong suitcase today
Bridge
Outside the van’s engine ticks cold
But the sky’s got that April light that won’t quit
I could leave the key on the bench by the gate
Or I could slide it underneath the door
Ring That Went Silent
Written from: a phone call you did not pick up
Verse 1
Morning coffee steams beside the open window
Your number flashes like a promise on the screen
I smile, thinking how easy it could be to say hello
The world outside hums, waiting for my voice to rise
Chorus
I’ll answer when the sunrise calls
I’ll answer when the sunrise calls
Verse 2
The silence stretches, a thin line across the room
I wonder if the words I’d spill would tumble clumsy
A doubt settles like dust on the old record player
The clock ticks louder, each second a question mark
Bridge
But hope drifts back on the wind that rattles the blinds
Your laugh still echoes in the hallway of my mind
I’ll pick up the line before the day folds into night
Outro
I’ll answer when the sunrise calls
I’ll answer when the sunrise calls
First Light in November
Written from: the first cold morning of the year
Verse 1
The bus exhales at Sixth and Main,
puddles where the streetlights stain.
I watch my breath go silver white,
knowing you won’t be on that night.
Chorus
It’s the first light in November,
thin as a promise someone remembers.
First light in November,
burn the coffee, try to keep from trembling.
It’s the first light in November,
thin as a promise someone remembers.
First light in November,
burn the coffee, try to keep from trembling.
Verse 2
The diner hums through steam and chrome,
the cook calls orders, calls me home.
I count the rings on my right hand,
wondering which towns we understand.
Bridge
I peel the calendar to next week,
try to will the days into check.
Winter’s still a rumor in the air,
but somewhere’s colder—something doesn’t care.
Outro
I sweep the sidewalk after five,
chalky frost on every line.
You’re not coming, but the bus rolls on—
good thing the cold feels like belonging.
New Life in My Old Place
Written from: somebody else living in your old house
Verse 1
I drive by my old house, see the lights are on
A family's living there, kids playing in the yard, having fun
I wonder if they're happy, if they love it like I did
Maybe they'll make memories, and the house will feel alive again
Chorus
Someone's home, someone's home, in my old place
Maybe they'll find their way, and fill the empty space
Someone's home, someone's home, in my old place
Maybe they'll find their way, and fill the empty space
Someone's home, someone's home, in my old place
Maybe they'll find their way, and fill the empty space
Verse 2
But then I think of all the things that I left behind
The creaky floor, the backyard tree, the smell of fresh-cut grass and time
I wonder if they'll change it, if they'll make it their own
If they'll find the hidden spots, where love and laughter used to roam
I imagine them on Sundays, having dinner as a family
Laughing and talking, making plans for the future, wild and free
I hope they'll find their happiness, in every single room
And the house will be a home, where love will bloom
Bridge
I'll let go of the past, and the memories that remain
I'll hope that they'll create new ones, and love the house the same
Outro
Now I'll drive away, and let them have their space
Maybe someday I'll come back, and see the love that they've created in my old place.
Silver Thread Dress
Written from: a wedding you went to alone
Verse 1
The church pews smell like lemon cleaner and old hymnals,
white silk unravels at my ankles like a spool of moonlit thread.
I count the way the candle flames bow toward each other,
then snap upright—no two hearts ever lean the same direction.
Chorus
Oh, you walk toward someone else,
but your name hitches on my tongue like a half-tuned bell.
We are silver thread dress and oak floor, never meant to cross.
Oh, you walk toward someone else,
but your name hitches on my tongue like a half-tuned bell.
We are silver thread dress and oak floor, never meant to cross.
Verse 2
The DJ’s speakers hum the year you taught me overs,
how to peel a clementine with my front teeth.
Now the floor sways without my weight, an empty partnership.
I press my palm to the wedding photo backdrop—cold vinyl, colder future.
Bridge
Three A.M. on the hotel balcony, the city hums below—
a language I understand but refuse to speak.
I find a lost glove behind the ice bucket, mine from last winter.
I should have known gloves are the first thing to go missing.
Outro
The bus ride home, streetlights stitch one long blink across the dark.
I trace the hem where the thread frays—
not broken, just letting go.
Just Like You
Written from: learning your parents were young once
Verse 1
We found their old bikes by the toolshed door
Rust on the chain like they left yesterday
One had my dad’s initials carved on the handlebars
The second balanced lopsided where he laid it away
Chorus
They jumped curbs you know in their Converse
Laughed when the knees gave out
Not every dream had to last forty years
Some burned bright like a cheap redoubt
They jumped curbs you know in their Converse
Half the time they didn’t know why
Not every dream had to last forty years
Some just needed to get airborne at night
Verse 2
Mom’s mix-tapes still stacked in a plastic bin
Title tracks from boys she never breathed a name to
She used to sing alto underneath the radio
Then she’d switch it off like it was something she knew
Bridge
So I pedal the same cracked sidewalk now
Feet slipping off the pedals again
Wondering which pieces are truly mine
And which ones I borrowed from them
Outro
If I squeal the brakes at the right curb
Maybe I’ll hear them somewhere cheering
Not every joy has to be carved in stone
Some just take flight like the birds we lost hearing
Four AM Departures
Written from: the hour before a flight you do not want to take
Verse 1
Outbound terminal sticky with spilled coffee
Row twelve where the air tastes like jet fuel
Your name stitched on my collar like a promise
One last look at the terminal pool of light
Chorus
I still believe in the lines on the map
I still believe in the leap at the edge
I still believe you’ll turn around fast
I still believe in the lines on the map
I still believe in the leap at the edge
I still believe you’ll turn around fast
Verse 2
Second coffee gone cold by the window
Boots tapping out the countdown again
Half a sandwich wrapped tight in a napkin
Telling myself it’s not over yet
Bridge
Your voice still hums in the airport speakers
A gate number half a second too late
Every second cracks like a winter sidewalk
But the sunrise keeps spilling in through the grate
Outro
Four AM departures shouldn’t feel this gentle
Your scarf still warm on the seat where you sat
Paper in the Pocket
Written from: finding a receipt in an old coat
Verse 1
The coat hangs on the hook, dust whispering in the hallway
I slide my hand inside, feeling the old fabric’s sigh
A crumpled slip of paper slips out, ink faded like sunrise
It’s a receipt for coffee, dated June, the day we laughed
Hope curls warm around the edges, a tiny reminder of us
Chorus
Found it, found it
Found it, found it
Verse 2
Why does this slip linger where winter coats gather?
The numbers blur, the total lost in a sea of memory
I stare at the corner, wondering what we left unpaid
A doubt settles like cold air, the scent of old laundry
Questions drift, and the smile fades to a quiet pause
Bridge
But the paper’s weight pulls me back, a thread to the past
I trace the name, the shop’s faint sign, a familiar street corner
A small spark flickers, turning the doubt into a soft grin
Outro
I fold the receipt, tuck it back, the coat feels lighter now
Tomorrow’s coffee will have a story, fresh and bright
Hope returns, stitched into the seams of the old coat.
Where the Signal Fades
Written from: a friend who stopped answering
Verse 1
The coffee on the counter’s gone cold
Your jacket still hangs by the back door
Sunday morning traffic hums low
I dialed twice before I walked out that door
Chorus
Are you still out there somewhere?
Can you hear me above the static there?
Are you still out there somewhere?
Can you hear me above the static there?
Verse 2
Monday’s paper’s tucked beneath the chair
Your coffee cup’s dusted with yesterday
Half the lights in the hallway burn bare
Guess I should’ve known you’d slip away
Bridge
Maybe the wires got crossed in the storm
Maybe the night swallowed the reply
But I’ll leave the line open till the dawn
In case you find your way back to the sky
Outro
The cup’s still there, the jacket too
I’ll keep half the night tuned to you
Summer's Lease
Written from: the summer job you thought was temporary
Verse 1
I stepped into the office, a stranger in the door
Fresh from school, with a smile and a whole lot more
To prove, to learn, to make my way, I thought it was the start
A summer job, a temporary stay, a chance to play my part
The city pulsed outside, a rhythm I'd never known
I felt the heat, the energy, the possibilities sown
Chorus
Oh, this summer's lease, it's got a hold on me
A temporary dream, that's all it's supposed to be
But the days go by, and I feel it in my bones
This summer's lease, it might just make me stay back home
Oh, this summer's lease, it's got a hold on me
A temporary dream, that's all it's supposed to be
But the days go by, and I feel it in my bones
This summer's lease, it might just make me stay back home
Oh, this summer's lease, it's got a hold on me
A temporary dream, that's all it's supposed to be
But the days go by, and I feel it in my bones
This summer's lease, it might just make me stay back home
Verse 2
But as the weeks went by, and the routine set in
I started to feel like I was just a cog in a machine
The work was hard, the pay was low, the hours long and cold
I wondered if I'd made a mistake, if I'd grown old
The fire that drove me, it started to fade
I felt like I was just going through the motions, a temporary shade
Bridge
Then something shifted, like the sun breaking through
A conversation, a connection, a spark that shone true
A glimpse of what could be, a future yet unknown
A sense of purpose, a sense of home
Outro
Now the summer's ending, and I'm faced with a choice
To stay or to leave, to make some noise
I thought it was temporary, but it's become my home
This summer's lease, it's where I am, and where I roam.
Static in the Hallways
Written from: driving past your old school at night
Verse 1
Headlights paint the brick in yellow
soccer field long empty
scoreboard clocks still running
but the clock on the wall stopped when you did
Chorus
Static in the hallways
you’re not here anymore
Static in the hallways
only the wind left to roar
Verse 2
Walked the halls with you at midnight
snuck in by the side door
you swore you heard a locker slam shut
I swore I heard the school whisper your name
Bridge
One more lap, I swear I see you
turning shadows into shoulders
then the streetlight flickers out completely
and the dark folds gentle around my tires
Outro
Static in the hallways
you’re not here anymore
Static in the hallways
only the wind left to roar
Gone to the Dogs Again
Written from: a dog that got old while you were away
Verse 1
Your kennel’s bed smells like you never moved out
Flea collar still shining on the scuffed floor
I keep half my socks missing in the laundry
Small acts to keep you here a little more
Chorus
I swear the porch light’s got your old bark in it
I’m talking to a shade that follows the room
Gone to the dogs again, same tired tune
I swear the porch light’s got your old bark in it
I swear the porch light’s got your old bark in it
I’m talking to a shade that follows the room
Gone to the dogs again, same tired tune
I swear the porch light’s got your old bark in it
Verse 2
Your bark used to shake the picture frames down
Now it’s just wind rattling what’s left of the wires
I hum our old walk around the block’s end
Hoping you’ll add your snores to the choir
Bridge
Maybe the vet said forever, not goodbye
Maybe I’m the one who won’t let you loose
The collar still jingles in dreams I don’t share out loud
Outro
I’ll bury the tags where the fence posts lean
Plant my boots so they point home again
Somewhere you’re still young, still pulling the leash—
The Way the Year Turns
Written from: the last day of a bad year
Verse 1
I counted the cracks in the ceiling bright white
just before dawn bent the window light
a promise in every one small line—
twelve months of cracks can turn to shine.
Chorus
Hold the clock at twelve-fifty-nine,
let the old world drown in the new one’s line.
Hold the clock at twelve-fifty-nine,
let the old world drown in the new one’s line.
Verse 2
By noon the sky was a bruise unspun,
winter’s last stolen hour undone.
I traced the date on the curb in chalk,
watched the tide erase every mark I drew.
Bridge
Footsteps still warm in the hallway floor,
echoes swell then dissolve next door.
If memory walks in, I let it stay—
it won’t stay long past the New Year’s day.
Outro
I hold the clock at twelve-fifty-nine,
because the way the year turns tastes like old wine.
Dialing the Kitchen
Written from: somebody teaching you a recipe over the phone
Verse 1
The line clicks, your laugh spills over the kitchen tiles.
You say “grab the olive oil, a splash of sunrise in a bottle.”
I hear the clink of a spoon as you count out teaspoons.
The kettle whistles, matching the rhythm of your instructions.
A pinch of salt, like sea‑foam on the edge of a spoon.
Chorus
Stir it slow, hear my voice in the steam,
Stir it slow, feel the heat rise with the beat.
Verse 2
Your words slip, “now add the garlic—wait, was it minced or crushed?”
I taste the doubt, a bitter edge where the butter should melt.
The timer ticks, each second a question I can’t answer.
Smoke curls from the pan, a grey cloud over my confidence.
Your laughter steadies the room, “just breathe, we’ll fix it together.”
Bridge
I hear the clatter of plates, the promise of a finished dish.
Your tone steadies the flame, turning fear into flavor.
Outro
The sauce simmers, glossy as the sunset you described.
We share a bite over the line, the taste of triumph in every spoon.
The Things We Couldn't Say
Written from: an argument nobody won
Verse 1
Morning coffee still warm in the cup
You swore you'd take it with you but left it where it sat up
I can see your tracks in the fresh snow
Halfway to the door then turned right back to go
Chorus
You left your jacket on my porch again
Guess I'll be the one to bring it back in
You left your jacket on my porch again
Guess I'll be the one to bring it back in
You left your jacket on my porch again
Guess I'll be the one to bring it back in
Verse 2
Radio hums some old love song we both know
Volume low like we're sneaking it in after hours on the radio
Your keys still on the hook by the door
Except now there's one less than there was before
Bridge
Maybe the dog forgot to bark at strangers
Maybe the furnace coughed up some last warm air
Maybe time just bend that way sometimes
Bends things soft until they're barely there
Outro
You left your jacket on my porch again
Guess I'll be the one to bring it back in
Empty Rooms
Written from: the quiet after everyone leaves
Verse 1
The last footsteps fade from the floor
I'm left with the echoes of what we had before
The silence is almost a friend, it's familiar and kind
I feel a spark of possibility, a new path to design
Chorus
Oh, the quiet, it whispers to me
Of all the things that could be
Verse 2
But as I wander through these empty rooms
I start to wonder if I'm just a fool
The shadows cast doubts on the walls
And I'm left to question it all, to hear the whispers of my flaws
Bridge
Maybe I'm just searching for a ghost
A fleeting dream that I've yet to know
But in this stillness, I find my voice
A whispered promise to make some noise
Outro
The quiet, it wraps around me tight
A soothing balm for the dark of night
And I feel that spark reignite
A glimmer of hope, a new light.
Paper Moon Over River Street
Written from: a promise made at seventeen
Verse 1
We swore on the curb where the streetlight flickers pink,
your fingers caught in mine like the pages I still keep.
I counted the cracks in the sidewalk squares,
each one a year we’d get to walk these squares.
Chorus
Paper moon over river street,
tonight we wrote our names in the rain.
Paper moon, don’t bend too soon,
I’m still the fool who believed we’d stay.
Paper moon over river street,
tonight we wrote our names in the rain.
Paper moon, don’t bend too soon,
I’m still the fool who believed we’d stay.
Verse 2
Last October you left your jacket behind—
hood still smells like the bonfire smoke from my truck.
I found your old receipts tucked in the sleeve,
dates from months before you said we’d leave.
Bridge
So tell me true: do you see what I see?
The marks on my ribs where your belt buckle pressed—
each one a promise made at seventeen,
and God help me if they’re not worn smooth yet.
Outro
Paper moon, hold steady up there,
I’m learning the sky’s just a promise without air.
Yellow House at 3 AM
Written from: the walk home after good news
Verse 1
Traffic lights blink like slow heartbeats on 5th
Your voicemail still warm in my fingers
City hums its low reassurance
Faulty crosswalk sign blinks stay-stay-stay
Chorus
Oh the road’s half mine tonight
Oh the road’s half yours tonight
One block left to go
Oh the road’s half mine tonight
Oh the road’s half yours tonight
One block left to go
Verse 2
Dog barks behind a fence three doors down
Certainty curdles like warm soda
Phone screen presses against my palm
Laughs echo back empty hallway
Bridge
First star weak as a match struck twice
Porch light flickers hello-goodbye-hello
Outro
Yellow house at 3 AM all lit up
Tin & Trust
Written from: counting money on a kitchen table
Verse 1
Morning spills through the screen door, pale and slow,
piles of ones and fives glow in rows.
Child’s crayon marks still on the yellow wood,
numbers add up to nothing good.
Chorus
Stack it high, it won’t stay,
but I’m counting tin to chase the grey.
Stack it high, it won’t stay,
still I stack it anyway.
Stack it high, it won’t stay,
but I’m counting tin to chase the grey.
Stack it high, it won’t stay,
still I stack it anyway.
Verse 2
Door hinge sighs like a tired friend,
wind hums a tune I can’t pretend.
One more bill I barely earned,
heat rises, corners curl and burn.
Bridge
Kitchen clock ticks off the minutes past,
doubt crawls in like the evening’s shadow cast.
Then a light flips on across the street,
somebody’s laughing, something tastes sweet.
Outro
Stack it high, the sky turns gold,
tin feels heavier, but the heart feels whole.
Stack it high, the story’s told—
one life stacked against the odds.
Station of My Choice
Written from: a train you missed on purpose
Verse 1
Morning draped the tracks in amber, a lone commuter sighs.
I watch the engine breathe, its wheels humming like a tide.
A coffee cup still steaming, the ticket in my palm.
I smile at the empty seat, decide to stay and watch.
Chorus
I let the whistle fade, I’ll catch the next sunrise,
I’ll stand where the rails bend, and find my own line.
Verse 2
The platform cools beneath my boots, a wind whispers doubt.
The train departs without me, a flash of steel and shout.
I hear my heart echo in the hollow, wondering if I’ve fled.
A question rides the tracks: was this choice or dread?
Bridge
Evening paints the sky in violet, the station hums a low hymn.
A second locomotive rolls in, its lanterns softly dim.
I step onto the carriage, feeling the pulse of new miles.
Hope flickers in the cabin light, a quiet, steady smile.
Outro
I let the whistle fade, I’ll catch the next sunrise,
I’ll stand where the rails bend, and find my own line.
Keep What You Need
Written from: clearing out a garage
Verse 1
half-empty coffee cup on the workbench
paint cans stacked like dominoes
rusted bike with one good wheel
can't tell if it's treasure or just junk
Chorus
Keep what you need but don't keep my name
the old board games in a yellowed frame
Keep what you need but don't keep my name
the old board games in a yellowed frame
Keep what you need but don't keep my name
the old board games in a yellowed frame
Verse 2
clock hands frozen 'round 3:17
floorboards groan when I shift my weight
that box marked "misc." is just disguise
for every thing I can't escape
Bridge
one box marked love, one marked doubt
open both and let them sort it out
Outro
with one hand on the door I pull out
a photograph of you that I can't throw out
First Cut
Written from: the first paycheque
Verse 1
I remember the day I got the call, said I'm hired, I'm on the wall
My name on the roster, my future looking tall
I'm gonna make some money, gonna make it right
Gonna save up, gonna make this city mine tonight
Chorus
Oh, my first paycheque, it's like a work of art
Gonna cash it in, gonna play my part
In the game of life, where the players never sleep
My first paycheque, it's the start I need
Oh, my first paycheque, it's like a work of art
Gonna cash it in, gonna play my part
In the game of life, where the players never sleep
My first paycheque, it's the start I need
Oh, my first paycheque, it's like a work of art
Gonna cash it in, gonna play my part
In the game of life, where the players never sleep
My first paycheque, it's the start I need
Verse 2
But then the doubts creep in, like a winter's chill
What if I'm not good enough, what if I stand still
The bills pile up, the expenses never cease
I'm just a cog in the machine, a replaceable piece
Bridge
I take a step back, I look around
People working hard, trying to make a sound
I'm not alone, we're all in this fight
We're chasing the dream, we're gonna make it right
Outro
Now I'm holding it, my first paycheque in hand
It's like a badge of honour, it's my master plan
I'm gonna make it happen, I'm gonna make it real
My first paycheque, it's the way I feel.
Your Morning Burned
Written from: a neighbour you never spoke to
Verse 1
Dust on the windowsill’s wide as my palm
You watered tomatoes leaning over the fence in shorts the color of rain
Left the hose running in two neat loops by the fence post
Chorus
I left your key where the hydrangea climbs
Morning burned like a bad signal on the radio
I left your key where the hydrangea climbs
Morning burned like a bad signal on the radio
Verse 2
Your last note smelled of motor oil and honeysuckle
Said the starter’s three days from giving in
Asked for a favor but never used my name
Bridge
Ten feet parted us every day for years
Your tarp snapped sharp as a warning in the wind
I should’ve crossed that lawn once, just to say the sky looked clear tonight
Outro
I left the key and the hose in the same loops
Morning still burns—bad signal, bad repair
Keys in the Rain
Written from: sleeping in a house that is being sold
Verse 1
Curtains packed in cardboard boxes
Scent of lemon still in the drawers
Morning light spills yellow on the floorboards
I rub my wrist where the watch grew
Chorus
This house is learning to let go
I sweep the corners where the good light goes
This house is learning to let go
This house is learning to let go
I trace the cracks like a road map home
This house is learning to let go
Verse 2
Packed my boots by the back door
Checked the taps still hold their pressure
Ladder leans against the bedroom
Half my life still in the plaster
Bridge
One more night stretches thin between
What we built here and what we couldn’t keep
Nails still hold where the pictures hung
Fingers trace the ghost of your thumbprint
Outro
Keys in the rain on the car seat
Engine hums a tired refrain