[Intro — whispered over a muted guitar pulse] Say it softer. Make it clean. Leave some room For what I think you mean. [Verse 1 — tight, rhythmic] Six o’clock. The table’s laid. Old contempt on a clean white plate. Learn the label, forget the face. Say it again till it takes their place. “Lives were lost”—the screen stays bright. Nobody’s hands in the sentence tonight. I pass the phrase across the room. Someone else can wear the bruise. [Chorus — full band, shouted] ONE WORD— With a fist inside. ONE WORD— And the room takes sides. WHO HOLDS THE SCALE? WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT COUNTS AS A WOUND? WHAT COUNTS AS A LIFE? [Verse 2 — heavier, building] Put a feather on the balance. Put a number on the cry. Tell me when it counts as suffering. Tell me when to walk on by. You say “snake”—I hear the bite. You say “wait”—I hear you taking sides. Your lips are moving. I know that look. I finish your sentence and close the book. [Pre-Chorus — drums drop to half-time] A warning. A verdict. A reason to act. I swallowed them whole— Now I’m spitting them back. [Chorus] ONE WORD— With a fist inside. ONE WORD— And the room takes sides. WHO HOLDS THE SCALE? WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT COUNTS AS A WOUND? WHAT COUNTS AS A LIFE? [Bridge — clean voice, exposed bass] I said “some.” You heard “all.” You said “careful.” I heard “weak.” I watched your mouth. I missed your meaning. I heard my fear And called it you. [Brief silence] [Breakdown — slow, barked vocals] WHO WROTE THE COOKBOOK? WHO MEASURED THE PAIN? HOW MUCH OF A SCREAM DISAPPEARS IN A NAME? WEIGH IT. NAME IT. ROUND IT DOWN. MAKE IT SMALL ENOUGH TO DROWN. [Breakdown turn — voice cracks, guitars sustain] Then I hear my own mouth Doing it too. Making you smaller So my words come true. [Final Chorus — shouted lead with a melodic countervoice] ONE WORD— With a fist inside. ONE WORD— And the room takes sides. WHO HOLDS THE SCALE? MY HAND’S ON IT TOO. WHAT DID YOU SAY? WHAT DID I MAKE OF YOU? [Outro — spoken over the opening pulse] Say it again. Let me hear it through. I heard my fear And called it you.
