The Paper Wall [Nordic Discord Challenge]

[Verse 1] I spent two years at the public pool. I was the face at the front desk, the one who charmed them all. I kept the peace, I kept the focus, I did the work they needed. But I was a ghost in their ledger, a name they didn't have to pay for. The moment the subsidy dried up, the "service" didn't matter anymore. They didn't see the man who showed up on time. They just saw a line of credit that reached its end. [Chorus] And they’re sorting me out before I even get to say hello. The machine is looking for a degree I never traded my life for. It’s a wall of paper, thick and cold, built by people in offices. They want a vocational title just to let me help a customer. But you can’t print "service-driven" on a diploma. And you can’t teach the heart I put into the job. [Verse 2] I’ve held the lives of seventy-five tanks in the palm of my hand. Kept the balance, kept the rhythm, made sure everything thrived. I’ve got fifteen years of judo discipline etched into my bones. I know how to stand my ground, I know how to stay calm. But the HR filter doesn't have a box for "discipline". It doesn't care that I'm social, or that I follow every word they say. If there’s no university stamp, the screen just stays blank. [Bridge] I just need the rhythm to stay the same. A steady pace, a world that doesn't shift every hour. I'll give you everything I have, I'll charm your world away. But I won't apologize for not sitting in their classrooms. [Chorus] And they’re sorting me out before I even get to say hello. The machine is looking for a degree I never traded my life for. It’s a wall of paper, thick and cold, built by people in offices. They want a vocational title just to let me help a customer. But you can’t print "service-driven" on a diploma. And you can’t teach the heart I put into the job. [Outro] Keep your certificates. Keep your hollow ranks. I’m still the guy who knows how to work. Still the guy with service in his blood. Waiting on the other side of your paper wall.