Careful Breathing

[Intro] We were raised on careful breathing Not anymore [Verse 1] I still flinch when the door slams Even when it’s me coming in Still scan every room for the exit Like the walls might split again I used to come home quiet Set my keys down like a prayer Now your boots are by the doorway And the lamp is burning there [Pre-Chorus ] I learned to move like smoke through the house Soft steps, shut mouth, eyes down That silence kept me safe Till it almost killed me [Chorus] Careful breathing That’s how I learned to stay alive Come home loud Let the dead air break tonight Let the front door shake Let the glasses ring Grey is still our color But it don’t get to wear us thin Come home loud We’re done with careful breathing [Verse 2] You leave your coffee in the sink I leave my armor on the floor You still look up when the cabinets close Like noise means something more I catch you watching, waiting For the turn inside my face But I pull you close instead of running And I let the whole room hear the change Pre-Chorus] Your hand stays on the light switch Your voice stays low and true But this house is done waiting To see what I’m gonna do [Chorus] Careful breathing That’s how I learned to stay alive Come home loud Let the dead air break tonight Let the front door shake Let the glasses ring Grey is still our color But it don’t get to wear us thin Come home loud We’re done with careful breathing [Bridge] You want the truth? I still wait for love to turn Still brace for the moment The kindness starts to burn But I’m done treating silence Like it’s sacred or safe If this house is gonna hold me Then let it hear my weight [Final Chorus] Careful breathing That’s how I learned to stay alive Come home loud Let the dead air break tonight Let the front door shake Let the glasses ring Grey is still our color But it don’t get to wear us thin Come home loud We’re done… we’re done… [Outro] Not quiet now Not backing down Grey is still the new black But louder now Louder now Not anymore