[Verse 1] You saw the kid at the curb Spitting words like broken glass You crossed the street and called him cruel I watched you turn your back too fast But I saw his hand in his sleeve Shaking like a caught-up bird He wore that anger like a coat Heavy as the worst thing heard [Pre-Chorus] What if the hurt came first? What if the mask was learned? What if the fire in their mouth Was a place their trust got burned? [Chorus] Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy The hardest heart can still crack open Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy That’s where the real change grows [Verse 2] There’s a woman at the checkout line Counting coins with her head bowed low You heard her snap at the cashier Like she had nowhere else to go Maybe nobody asked her name Maybe nobody knew her weight Maybe the life she had to carry Kept her standing at that gate [Pre-Chorus] What if the shame came early? What if the wound stayed near? What if the sharpest voice we know Is the one that’s fed by fear? [Chorus] Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy The hardest heart can still crack open Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy That’s where the real change grows [Bridge] I’ve worn the cold on my own face I’ve said the thing I can’t take back I’ve been the one you’d walk around When my whole world turned black So don’t just judge the bruise Don’t stop at what you see Some people hurt like a locked door Till somebody brings a key [Final Chorus] Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy The hardest heart can still crack open Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy That’s where the real change grows Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy Even now, even then Leave room for mercy Leave room for mercy And watch what kindness grows
