Neon Judgment Gown

Verse 1 I said I couldn’t drive, said I was coming undone Heart beating like a war drum, nowhere left to run I thought if I told the truth, somebody might help me breathe Instead they took the little bit of dignity I had on me Stripped me down naked like my fear was something bad Handed me a paper gown, like that was all I had Took my rings, my hair ties, everything that felt like mine Put me under neon judgment in that cold fluorescent light Pre-Chorus I was asking for help Not begging for hell But they blurred that line And left me there by myself Chorus Under that hallway light I was barely alive Running on no sleep, just trying to survive They took my voice, my clothes, my pride But they couldn’t take the fire I kept burning inside And when they pushed too far When they treated me like I was nothing at all One stolen phone call cut straight through the dark And my husband came and carried me out of it all Verse 2 Wouldn’t sleep in that cell, no, I wouldn’t break that way So I curled up in a chair in the middle of the hallway Twenty-four hours, maybe more, my body gave out slow Found a second of peace in a place that had none to show Then boots came down hard, no mercy, no warning Kicked my feet from the chair while the building kept snoring Like I wasn’t a person, like I didn’t feel pain Like panic in a woman’s chest was something to restrain Pre-Chorus I was falling apart Not a danger, not armed Just a soul in distress Trying to hold on through harm Chorus Under that hallway light I was barely alive Running on no sleep, just trying to survive They took my voice, my clothes, my pride But they couldn’t take the fire I kept burning inside And when they pushed too far When they treated me like I was nothing at all One stolen phone call cut straight through the dark And my husband came and carried me out of it all Bridge You can lock a door You can strip me down You can make me feel ashamed You can try to take my crown But I know the truth And I know my name I was hurt, not broken And I’m not the one to blame Final Chorus Under that hallway light Yeah, I fought to stay whole With nothing but a paper gown and a death grip on my soul You can call it policy You can say it’s for my good But there ain’t nothing healing In the way I was misunderstood And when they pushed too far When they treated me like I’d never be enough Love crashed through those walls And my husband came and got me because I’d had enough Outro I said I needed help You made me feel caged But love still knew my name Love still came