Clear The Way — Extended

[Verse] I kept the chipped cup from the back of the sink Where the rim held a stain and the handle went pink You said, “Make it count,” with your coat half zipped I watched the hallway bulb give a tired little flick No crown on my head, just a rent due note And a number scratched down on the cuff of my coat I learned what stays when the easy things leave A key in the dish and a breath to believe The block knew my shoes by the scrape of the sole The old man downstairs kept the heat in his home I carried his groceries up four flights slow He said, “You’re still standing.” I said, “I know.” [Refrain] Clear the way, let the truth walk through No borrowed name, no debt to you I took my share of the weight and the blame Still here, still whole, still carrying my name [Verse] I wrote on a receipt while the laundromat spun Small blue ink marks where the old stains run A dryer door rattled like it knew my tune The change in my pocket bought time till noon I’ve seen good hands shake when the phone won’t ring Seen a plain little promise outlast everything So if you ask what I kept when the seasons were rough A table, a chair, and the nerve to be enough [Refrain] Clear the way, let the truth walk through No borrowed name, no debt to you I took my share of the weight and the blame Still here, still whole, still carrying my name [Outro] Let the door swing wide; let the old dust fall I don’t need a witness, I remember it all Clear the way—I’m coming through With my own two feet and the things I knew