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Words from the artist’s archive
Cut The Line 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
Three a.m., quilted leather, gate lights blink slow Bulletproof vest stiff, still cutting my ribs though If tough was a mask, I outgrew the fit
Verse 1
Inside this coupe, my breath fog the glass Quiet so loud, I hear stitches in my past Gated driveways, cameras turn like they judge My chain cold, my chest feel heavy to touch Vest creak when I move, like truth got weight In the mirror, my eyes look overworked, not brave My name on billboards, my phone full of wars But the street in my head still kicks down doors I used to bark on tracks, make the crowd feel steel Now I sit with the wheel, asking what I feel Young me, you built armor out of what you saw It saved your pulse, but it blurred what you are
Pre-chorus
Hear that ring, hear that ring, like a test I ignore My heart got a lock, I am changing the code at the door I am done paying interest on pain I did not borrow
Verse 2
Old number pop up, my thumb freeze mid-air He say “send it now,” like my life is his spare He talking bail and a score and a body got tied Like my new zip code owe him a ride He want a fast fix, I want roots in the ground He want me back in the noise, I want quiet that’s sound He call it loyalty, I call it high upkeep A leaking pipe in the wall that will not let me sleep My son got a birthday, my wife got a plan My LLC waiting, I am building a brand You want me to pay for your night gone wrong I been paying since teens with my nerves in a song
Pre-chorus
Hear that ring, hear that ring, like a chain on my ankle I am learning “no” without turning it hateful Some bridges burn cleaner than they ever stood
Chorus
I am not that mask, I am not that act Unpaid trauma bill, I am clearing that stack Chainmail coming loose, turning soft in the seat If you love me, respect me, do not ask for the street “Cut the line, cut the line” “Cut the line”
Verse 3
I built the persona like code in a rush Hotfix on hotfix, just to live through the crush Every “tough” ad-lib was a patch on a bruise Every laugh in the booth was a headline I used Now the patchwork costs me, it is technical debt Late fees in my chest every time I reset Old friends got demands like they own my release But their chaos got compound interest, no peace Young me, I forgive you for swinging first You were cornered, you were hungry, you did what you learned But that same hard shell that kept you alive Can bankrupt tomorrow if you never revise
Bridge
Phone keep ringing, and the screen keep bright I stare at it like it is bait in the night My throat tight, vest tight, hands on the wheel If I answer, I lose what I finally built real I am scared to be gentle, that is the truth And scared is not weakness, it is proof
Verse 4
So I made a boundary like a fence with a key Not for strangers, for the ones that bleed me Therapy at noon, no cameras, no flex Just me and the silence I used to neglect I learned my triggers got tells in my jaw I unclench, I breathe, let the nervous system thaw To my old crew, I am not your emergency fund I am not your alibi, I am not your stunt Call me soft, cool, I can live with that Soft is how you hold a child after dark like that New defense is honesty, not threats on a beat New armor is calm when the past tries to speak
Verse 5
The call fades out, I do not chase the tone I pull in the driveway, lights wash the stone I see my kid’s shoes by the door, tiny and neat That sight hit harder than any bass in the street I text one line: “I cannot,” and I let it stand Then I tuck in my family with steady hands To the listener, if you tired of acting hard You are allowed to evolve, you are allowed to guard Street politics flashy, but it steals your breath Emotional skill is the cleanest kind of strength left I step out the role, let the costume fall And the quiet in my house feel rich as it all
Chorus
I am not that mask, I am not that act Unpaid trauma bill, I am clearing that stack Chainmail coming loose, turning soft in the seat If you love me, respect me, do not ask for the street “Cut the line, cut the line” [Outro] (No humming, clear articulation) (Whispered vocal) Rain stop tapping, engine hum low. I keep my peace, that is the glow-up I chose not to show. Phone on mute, keys on the tray. “Cut the line” then it loops back the same way.
Inside the recording
Three a.m., quilted leather, gate lights blink slow Bulletproof vest stiff, still cutting my ribs though
Hear that ring, hear that ring, like a test I ignore My heart got a lock, I am changing the code at the door
I am not that mask, I am not that act Unpaid trauma bill, I am clearing that stack
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.