Paygrade

Name: Paygrade
Duration: 303 s
Description: Paygrade by mBaileyz. From the artist’s lyric sheet: “I’m strictly acting my wage, yeah, I’m acting my wage Minimum effort for the minimum stage You want the…”

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Paygrade lyrics

Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.

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Intro

Check the balance. Red numbers. Again. Yeah.

Verse 1

Six AM alarm cuts through the dream like a serrated knife Cold brew on the counter, stale bread, that’s the breakfast of life Gas tank sitting on E, playing chicken with the warning light Dashboard dusty, check engine glowing like a neon kite Swipe the badge, hear the beep, step inside the fluorescent cage Manager’s already typing, red-faced, burning with that silent rage I’m five minutes late, he’s acting like I burned the building down While he’s browsing Zillow for a third house in a beach town.

Chorus

I’m strictly acting my wage, yeah, I’m acting my wage Minimum effort for the minimum stage You want the CEO output? Cut the CEO check Until the direct deposit hits, you get what you get I’m strictly acting my wage, watch me turning the page Locked in the system but I’m rattling the cage They want a rockstar performance on a roadie per diem I’ll be chilling in the bathroom ’til the PM, you see ‘em?

Verse 2

Inbox full of "urgent" flags, none of them actually real Susan’s asking for a spreadsheet, Ken is asking how I feel I feel like a battery, draining out for a corporate logo Quarterly earnings are up, but the bonus is a no-go "We’re a family here," yeah, the kind that eats its own young Pizza party on a Friday while the budget comes undone They track the keystrokes, monitor the time I spend away But don’t track the unpaid overtime I gave ‘em yesterday.

Chorus

Verse 3

Stop by the market, grab a carton, put it back on the shelf Price tag looking like a mortgage, man, I’m laughing at myself Rent went up three hundred, paycheck stayed exactly the same Math isn’t mathing, I’m just a pawn in a losing game Subscription models for the heated seats, subscription for the air They’ll tax the silence in my head if I stay sitting there Credit score dropping cause I missed a payment on the phone While the banks get a bailout and I can’t get a loan.

Bridge

I used to dream of a view. Now I just dream of a break. How much more can they take? Before the whole thing... BREAKS!

Verse 4

"Just get a side hustle," yeah, drive the car into the ground Sell your hobbies, sell your sleep, sell every moment that you found Monetize the breathing, monetize the walking on the street If you aren’t grinding 24/7, then you accept defeat? Nah, I’m rejecting the premise, I’m deleting the app I’m not a content creator, I’m just taking a nap Hustle culture is a pyramid scheme built on the tired I’d rather be "lazy" and happy than "productive" and wired.

Verse 5

Drafted the email. Saved it in drafts. Deleted the Slack from the phone. Yeah. I’m clocking out early, the sun is actually shining outside Leaving the laptop open, let the battery slide Walking past the boss’s office, didn’t even wave goodbye I’m reclaiming the hours before the day goes to die They can replace me tomorrow, I’m just a number on a sheet But tonight I’m eating dinner sitting down, off of my feet.

Chorus

Outro

Sent from my iPhone. Don’t reply.

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Inside the recording

96 sampled loudness windows · 303 seconds. The white line follows the player; this is a local recording matched by title and duration, not a verified YouTube audio fingerprint.

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01 / The opening