DEPENDENCY CHAINS

Intro - Instrumental] [Moody acoustic guitar, minor key] [Verse 1] I had a good job, benefits and all 401k and a corner cubicle They said I made it, climbed the ladder right But something felt like prison every Monday night I watched my neighbors buying bigger houses Trading time for things they'd never use Every comfort came with monthly payments Every convenience built a tighter noose [Chorus] These dependency chains, they're beautiful and bright Shiny substitutes for living your own life They don't need bars when they can build a cage That feels like freedom on a payment page Dependency chains, so easy not to see 'Til you realize you forgot how to be free [Verse 2] I saw it in the schools, I saw it in the stores Teach 'em what to think, not how to think for themselves Complexity's reserved for those who own the doors While everyone else just rents their lives from someone else I watched good people work themselves to dust For systems that were never built to care And every institution they were taught to trust Was just another chain disguised as answered prayer [Chorus] These dependency chains, they're beautiful and bright Shiny substitutes for living your own life They don't need bars when they can build a cage That feels like freedom on a payment page Dependency chains, so easy not to see 'Til you realize you forgot how to be free [Bridge] [Tempo slows, more intensity] So I packed my truck with everything that mattered Left behind the things that only looked like wealth They said I lost my mind, my future's shattered But I found something they could never sell [Final Chorus - Building] No more dependency chains holding down my soul No more trading dreams for someone else's goals I'm heading to the mountains with a question and a plan If the system's rigged, can I build something with my hands? Can I build something that lasts? Can I break these chains at last? [Outro - Instrumental fade] [Harmonica, solo acoustic guitar] [End]