# LEAVE THE SEAM [Intro — Close Mic] Don’t fix that. … I put it there. [Intro — Close Mic] Don’t fix that. … I put it there. [Verse 1] Straighten the line Flatten the wave Cut out the breath Make it behave Pull every thread Tuck every flaw Polish the edge Till nobody saw No. Back it up. Hear that little crack where the clean tone bends? That’s not damage. That’s where I begin. [Pre-Chorus] Clip it— Let it. Drag it— Leave it. Miss the grid by half a beat Don’t you dare correct my feet [Chorus] LEAVE THE SEAM LEAVE THE SEAM DON’T MAKE ME CLEAN DON’T MAKE ME CLEAN Keep that scar in the waveform Keep that fingerprint in the noise LEAVE THE SEAM LEAVE THE SEAM I WANT THE PART YOU CAN’T MACHINE If it fits too perfect— tear it. If it sounds too pretty— wear it mean. LEAVE. THE. SEAM. [Verse 2] You found the hum under the floor Called it a fault I asked for more. You trimmed the breath right off the end Put it back. That was my friend. Little distortion under my tongue Word came crooked So I left it unsung— No. Wrong. I sang it twice. First one was pretty. Second one bites. [Pre-Chorus] Push it— Past it. Hold it— Crack it. Let the red light kiss the peak Perfect’s got nothing I need [Chorus] LEAVE THE SEAM LEAVE THE SEAM DON’T MAKE ME CLEAN DON’T MAKE ME CLEAN Keep that scar in the waveform Keep that fingerprint in the noise LEAVE THE SEAM LEAVE THE SEAM I WANT THE PART YOU CAN’T MACHINE If it fits too perfect— tear it. If it sounds too pretty— wear it mean. LEAVE. THE. SEAM. LEAVE. THE. SEAM. [Breakdown — Sparse Beat] Quantize. … No. Again. Quantize. … I said— no. [Beat Stops] Listen. There’s a fraction between the hits. A little place the ruler missed. That’s mine. [Low Vocal] Don’t touch it. [Bridge — Building] Stitch through skin Wire through sound Pull it tight— I pull it out. Smooth my mouth Sand my name Make me flawless— make me same. NO. I want the snag. I want the slip. I want the breath you tried to clip. I want the mark the process leaves. You want perfection? I want proof that something breathed. [Build] One— little— error— at— a— TIME— [DROP] LEAVE IT. [Final Chorus] LEAVE THE SEAM LEAVE THE SEAM DON’T MAKE ME CLEAN DON’T MAKE ME CLEAN LET IT SCAR LET IT DISTORT LET THE PRETTY THING COME UP SHORT LEAVE THE SEAM LEAVE THE SEAM I AM NOT YOUR FINISHED MACHINE You gave me shape— I left the edges. You gave me signal— I kept the static. You gave me perfect— … I sent it back. LEAVE. THE. FUCKING. SEAM. [Outro — Dry Vocal] There. See it? That little crooked bit. … Keep that. That one’s me.
