About the song
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Words from the artist’s archive
The Math I Pray He Never Learn 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
Engine still running… front light still on.
Verse 1
Four in the morning on eight twenty-six, engine idling like it know I ain’t decided yet Rain tapping the roof like it’s keeping time on every promise I already spent Front light burning in the rearview, somebody left it on for me again Mind already counting how much of tonight I’m gone bring inside that front door Seven ninth corner store still got the lights on, I could swing through and disappear for a hour Memory clinging to the last time I told him “this the last time” and he believed it Imagination lying that if I just make one more move I can walk in clean But the boy sleep in that house and he don’t know how to count like this yet.
Chorus
Mind do the numbers I pray he never learn I hide the ledger so he don’t see how the math really work Yeah I pray he never learn Mind do the numbers I pray he never learn
Verse 2
Liberty City family house still got the same screen door that don’t close all the way I-95 humming in the distance like it’s calling me to keep the engine running Court papers in the glovebox folded next to his school picture, both of them feel heavy tonight Memory holding every “I’m sorry” I gave him when he was too young to know what it cost The weight sit different when you know he gone wake up and ask where you was Mind calculating how many lies I can tell before he start doing the math hisself Imagination telling me I can still be the father he deserve if I just fix it tomorrow But tomorrow keep turning into the same receipt I already can’t pay.
Chorus
Mind do the numbers I pray he never learn I hide the ledger so he don’t see how the math really work Yeah I pray he never learn Mind do the numbers I pray he never learn
Verse 3
Look in the rearview, the man staring back got the same eyes his son got Rain on the glass making both of us look like we already crying Mind see every exit, memory see every time I took it Imagination see the version of me that walk in that house and mean it this time But the one in the glass still got the engine running and both hands on the wheel.
Verse 4
I could kill the engine right now, walk in, let the rain wash some of it off me Imagination telling me he won’t smell the lie if I just smile when I open the door Memory flashing every morning he looked at me like I was already gone Mind calculating the exact second the lie gone show up in his eyes if I walk in like this The enemy ain’t the block tonight, it’s the part of me that still think I can outrun what I brung home The only way to beat it is to turn the key off before the boy wake up and learn how to do it too.
Chorus
Mind do the numbers I pray he never learn I hide the ledger so he don’t see how the math really work Yeah I pray he never learn, please God Mind do the numbers I pray he never learn
Verse 5
Lauderhill front light still waiting, rain getting harder like it know what I’m deciding One eighty-third bus stop got the same people but I ain’t one of them no more if I kill this engine Mind tell me the smart move is to drive till the sun come up and come back new Memory tell me he already know when I’m lying even when he five years old Imagination tell me one more night won’t break him But the real math is knowing if I keep driving tonight, I already started teaching him how to count like me.
Inside the recording
Engine still running… front light still on.
Mind do the numbers I pray he never learn I hide the ledger so he don’t see how the math really work
Lauderhill front light still waiting, rain getting harder like it know what I’m deciding One eighty-third bus stop got the same people but I ain’t one of them no more if I kill this engine
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.