About the song
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Words from the artist’s archive
Different Staircase lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
"Boy, you ain't called grandma in three weeks. Bring your cousin. I don't care what he did."
Verse 1
Bunk bed, NW 17th, one fan that don't oscillate Cheap JBL between us, ten-dollar speaker, big faith He read Forbes by the closet, I read Smack DVD by the light Same grandma, same gravy, same prayer before the bite Two boys, one room, one Publix pie cut in half He said "stocks," I said "studio," grandma laughed The staircase split clean before either left the porch
Pre-chorus
Same blood, different staircase Same name, different paystub Same grandma, same Thanksgiving, same gravy in the pan Different math, same hands
Chorus
We climb the same staircase, brother, just at different speeds Marble cracks the same as concrete, just quieter when it bleeds One floor smell like espresso, one floor smell like court Same key, different door, same heart, different sort
Verse 2
He on the 34th floor, Brickell window, espresso humming low I'm on Krome and 41st, passenger seat, gas needle on slow He got a Slack ping from his manager 'bout a Q2 review I got a court text Tuesday, four thousand two hundred due He warms a sourdough loaf, I warm my hands on the vent He's vested in October, I'm evicted by Lent Same blood, different lobbies, both got fluorescent fear He counts options, I count the days I can stay parked here
Pre-chorus
Same blood, different staircase Same name, different paystub Same grandma, same Thanksgiving, same gravy in the pan Different math, same hands
Chorus
We climb the same staircase, brother, just at different rates Marble cracks the same as concrete, just smoother when it breaks One floor smell like jasmine, one floor smell like rust Same key, different door, same God, different trust
Verse 3
Grandma's table, eight chairs, two cousins, one hush Pumpkin pie from Publix, store-bought brown crust He slid me four bills under the cloth like a magic trick I slid them back, said "I'm good," and bit my lip till it split Auntie watching the Cash App pings light up the room He got Zelle from a coworker, I got nothing from my dude Grandma said grace, said both her boys gon' be fine Then she squeezed my hand harder, like she already knew the line
Bridge
"I'm not safe. I'm just earlier. The wave that hit you Tuesday hits me Friday. The marble is paint." "I ain't jealous of marble. I'm jealous of quiet. You panic in private. I panic in lots."
Verse 4
He lost forty grand on a coin his coworker swore by Sent the screenshot at 2 a.m., three crying faces, one "why" Manager called him redundant, Slack channel muted Counted months his savings could stretch unsuited He thought the staircase was marble, found out it was paint Found a layoff PDF in his calendar, signed by a saint he ain't He texted me first: "I get it now, cuz, I'm scared" I texted back: "Welcome to Tuesday, the air is already shared"
Verse 5
Met him on NW 12th, courthouse lot, 9:47 He had a folder, I had a docket, both of us looking at heaven He said "the system don't see staircases, just sees who walks" I said "then we build a third one, brother, out of all this talk" Same blood, different lanyards, both holding the same pen He filing a wrongful, I'm filing to see my kid again Two cousins, one meter, one prayer between two cars Same staircase, different floors, same scar, different bars
Chorus
We climb the same staircase, brother, just at different speeds Marble cracks the same as concrete, just quieter when it bleeds One floor smell like espresso, one floor smell like court Same key, different door, same heart, same sort
Outro
Same train, different cars Same line, different stars Same blood.
Inside the recording
"Boy, you ain't called grandma in three weeks. Bring your cousin. I don't care what he did."
Same blood, different staircase Same name, different paystub
Same train, different cars Same line, different stars
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.