It Kept the Lights On

[Intro – Grinding Riff] [Verse 1] I knew what they wanted before they asked. I knew what it cost. I did the math. They didn’t need to threaten. They didn’t need to beg. They just left the lights on… and I stayed instead. I told myself it was temporary. Told myself it was just this once. Told myself I’d walk away when the numbers made sense. But the numbers kept moving. The lights stayed warm. And the door I said I’d walk through… never opened on its own. [Pre-Chorus] I stopped asking questions. I stopped keeping score. I stopped calling it a cage when I could still see the door. [Chorus] It kept the lights on. It kept the heat on. It kept the wolves far away from the door. It kept the lights on. I didn’t sell my soul— I just paid the bill and called it work. [Verse 2] They asked for a little. I gave them more. They asked for my name. I gave them the floor. They said it was mutual. They said it was fair. I nodded like it mattered… while I signed it there. I stopped pretending I was keeping the door. I stopped pretending I was keeping the door. The lights stayed on. The rent got paid. And the part of me that used to fight… got quieter every day. [Chorus] It kept the lights on. It kept the heat on. It kept the wolves far away from the door. It kept the lights on. I didn’t sell my soul— I just paid the bill and called it work. [Bridge – Self-Justification Cracking] I didn’t lose myself. I just put some parts where nobody looked. I didn’t become them. I just learned which rules to break. I didn’t sell my soul. I just stopped asking… what it cost to keep the lights on. WHAT IT COST TO KEEP THEM ON! [Final Chorus] It kept the lights on. It kept the heat on. It kept the wolves far away from the door. It kept the lights on. I didn’t sell my soul— I just paid the bill and called it work. [Outro] I told myself I’d stop… when it started to feel wrong. It never stopped feeling wrong. I just stopped noticing. (Amplifier hum cuts out with a sharp digital click.)