Borrowed Words

[Verse 1] You wear a borrowed ribbon Pinned bright against your coat Say all the right convictions Then laugh when no one knows You quote the words like scripture But never change your seat You want the praise of justice Without the cost beneath [Pre-Chorus] I hear the hinge give way I see the paint peel back A promise made for cameras A hand behind my back [Chorus] I’m not your proof of goodness Not a medal for your chest You don’t get to call it freedom While you silence all the rest If you mean the words you’re saying Stand where consequences start You can’t build a righteous kingdom With a locked and guarded heart [Verse 2] You count the women listening Like numbers in a room Then tell us we are angry When we refuse your tune You praise the brave among us As long as we obey And call it complicated When truth gets in the way [Pre-Chorus] I hear the hinge give way I watch the mask go slack A speech about protection A boot against my back [Chorus] I’m not your proof of goodness Not a medal for your chest You don’t get to call it freedom While you silence all the rest If you mean the words you’re saying Stand where consequences start You can’t build a righteous kingdom With a locked and guarded heart [Bridge] We learned the names you buried We kept the dates and doors We felt the cold of silence Beneath your polished floors No halo hides a witness No slogan makes you kind The truth is not a weapon For you to leave behind [Final Chorus] I’m not your proof of goodness I’m the question in your breath You don’t get to preach resistance While you bargain with our steps If you mean the words you’re saying Open every guarded part Let the light reach every corner Start with your own heart [Outro] Start with your own heart Start with your own heart No more borrowed words No more borrowed words