[Verse 1] You came with a crown made of borrowed light Counting every door you could close tonight I kept my hands where the work could show Let the quiet weight of the years speak low [Pre-Chorus] No borrowed throne, no borrowed name A promise is a fire you carry through the rain [Chorus] Respect is earned where the hard ground breaks In the word you keep and the choice you make Not a favor, not a fear, not a hand held out It is built in the hours nobody talks about Respect, let it stand when the bright things fade A mark in the stone from the life you made [Verse 2] I have seen loud men lose their place When the room went still and measured their face I have watched one hand lift another from dust That is the kind of power I trust [Bridge] If you want my trust, meet me eye to eye Bring the truth you carry, leave the alibi The world remembers more than what you claim It remembers who you were when no one knew your name [Final Chorus] Respect is earned where the hard ground breaks In the word you keep and the choice you make Not a favor, not a fear, not a hand held out It is built in the hours nobody talks about Respect, let it stand when the bright things fade A mark in the stone from the life you made [Outro] Let it stand Let it hold Let your actions tell the story When the talking grows old
