[Verse 1] You came in with that book Held up like a badge Old spine, soft cover Like it proved what you had You said, "I'm with the workers" With your cuffed-up sleeves Sat at the counter grinning Like you'd been down these streets Your hands were clean Mine were clocked in red You talked about hunger While I counted bread [Pre-Chorus] You spoke so sure Like you knew the cost But you wore it easy Like a coat you lost You said the names You said them loud Like a pauper with a crown Like a pauper with a crown [Chorus] A pauper with a crown A pauper with a crown You wore it for a season Then set it down A pauper with a crown A pauper with a crown Poverty was a door You could walk out [Verse 2] I had the rent due Friday The lamp was going dim The car made that noise again I had to trust the rim I split the groceries thin Watched the numbers climb You called it "solidarity" I called it overtime You chose the working man's life I was never given the choice You could leave the cold at midnight I still woke to its voice [Pre-Chorus] You loved the rough edge The grease, the grit, the rain The way it made you vivid The way it made you plain You wanted proof You wanted sound So you dressed yourself in struggle Like a pauper with a crown [Chorus] A pauper with a crown A pauper with a crown You wore it for a season Then set it down A pauper with a crown A pauper with a crown Poverty was a door You could walk out [Bridge] I saw the script in your pocket The pose in your smile The cause you wore for weather Then forgot after a while You loved my life As a sample, as a sign Another thing collected For the story of your mind When the shine wore off You went back through the gate Family money, clean rooms And a life you called a cage [Final Chorus] A pauper with a crown A pauper with a crown Your politics were theater Your sacrifice was sound A pauper with a crown A pauper with a crown Your compassion was vanity In borrowed work clothes now A pauper with a crown A pauper with a crown The pauper was the lie The crown was the truth all along [Outro] You took the part I took the fall The crown was in the closet After all
