Learn to Leave (Frake)

[Intro, low, gravelly, almost spoken] You don’t learn the city by prayin’. You learn it by bleedin’. By knowin’ which window opens, And which one drops you dead. [Verse 1, rough, steady] I knew rooftops before I knew peace, Knew lock teeth better than priests, Knew how rich men slept at night, Knew how to vanish before first light. Had quick hands, bad luck, bad pride, A rope, a grin, and nowhere to hide, Thought I was smoke, thought I was air, Thought iron bars would never hold me there. [Pre-Chorus, warning, restrained anger] But every thief gets taught the same— You climb too high, they learn your name. And every fool who runs too fast Finds out the dark don’t let things pass. [Chorus, strong, harsh, protective] Learn the lock, learn the floor, Learn what gets you through the door, Learn the silence, learn the lie, Learn when to run, not just when to try. Ain’t enough to be quick, kid, Ain’t enough to laugh at death— The smart ones live to leave, And that’s what keeps breath in your chest. [Verse 2, more personal, bitter warmth] Then there was you with your wildfire grin, Trouble in silk and sharp little sins, Always one step from the gutter’s kiss, Too pretty to look this hard at the abyss. Dragged you out more than you ever knew, Some nights angry, some nights black and blue, You called it livin’, I called it waste, That hungry look on your reckless face. Taught you the tumblers, taught you the feel, How wood will talk and hinges squeal, How to tell when a house ain’t right, How to breathe like a shadow in the night. [Pre-Chorus, more emotional, stern] I didn’t teach you all that so You’d throw your bones where bad winds blow. Didn’t show you how to slip the chain So you could make a home of pain. [Chorus, louder, sharper] Learn the lock, learn the floor, Learn what gets you through the door, Learn the silence, learn the lie, Learn when to run, not just when to try. Ain’t enough to be brave, kid, Ain’t enough to bare your teeth— The smart ones live to leave, And not every fight needs blood beneath. [Bridge, stripped back, gravelly, wounded] I did my years. I wore my shame. Came back older, Not clean—just tame. Now I mend doors, Patch broken things, Keep small souls fed, And oil rusted springs. And maybe I ain’t your blood, Maybe I ain’t your name, But I was there when the night came close, And I stayed the same. [Breakdown, half-spoken, tadelnd, intimate] So listen to me. You don’t owe the dark your heart. You don’t prove you’re alive By lettin’ yourself fall apart. You hear me? You stupid, shining thing. Surviving ain’t glorious— But it’s everything. [Final Chorus, huge, raw, emotional] Learn the lock, learn the floor, Learn what gets you through the door, Learn the danger, learn the cost, Learn how much a soul gets lost. Ain’t enough to burn, kid, Ain’t enough to spit at grief— The smart ones live to leave, And I need you mean enough to leave. [Outro, tired, quiet, almost affectionate] So take your picks, Take what I gave. Climb if you must— But don’t die brave. Not for thrill. Not for pride. Come back breathing. That’ll do fine.