Broad shoulders crack under the weight they demand Silent provider, never show a trembling hand Bills stack like chains around a working man’s neck Smile through the grind while the inside starts to wreck Carry it all, bury it deep Man of the house, no room to weep Trapped in the suit they cut for me This iron yoke won’t set me free They say real men don’t break, don’t bend, don’t bleed Just grind the bones and plant the seed Ghost in the mirror my future’s decreed The boy who dreamed is rotting from within I feel the fracture running straight down my spine The cage they built with “be a man” every time Carry it all, bury it deep Man of the house, secrets I keep Trapped in the role they forged for me This iron yoke is killing me Iron yoke Won’t set me free Carry it all, ‘til there’s nothing left of me
