Miles I Made

[Intro, Clean muted guitar; Tape hiss, close mic breath] (yeah) (steady) [Verse 1, Swung half-time chords; Doubled male vocal, dry tone] Sunlight on a raised white line Right above my hipbone I remember that afternoon Now I carry it alone Didn’t choose the shape it made Didn’t get a say But it’s written in my body now And it answers when I move [Verse 2, Minor lift to major; Light slapback, stereo spread] Cold room, metal in the light Someone said “just stay awake” Staring at the ceiling tiles Counting breaths I couldn’t take Hands were shaking on the sheet Couldn’t feel my face They stitched me up but left the fear inside And I still feel it shake [Chorus, Open major hook; Wide harmonies, fuzz guitars] Every mark is a mile I made Every mile I made Every mark is a mile I made Yeah I stayed, I stayed You don’t see it like I do You just see the skin Every mark is a mile I made [Verse 3, Driving bass lead; Tight drums, tremolo guitar] In the mirror late at night Fingertips along the seam Tried to press it flat again Like it wouldn’t look like me Now I trace it like a line I had to cross alone It’s the proof I made it out It’s the only thing I own [Bridge, Harmonic drop; Whisper layer, analog pad swell] I thought it would take me under Thought I’d disappear There were nights I pressed it hard Just to check I’m still here And it didn’t answer back Just a quiet bend Not the end they warned me of Just a place I didn’t end [Chorus, Full-band surge; Saturated guitars, stacked vocals] Every mark is a mile I made Every mile I made Every mark is a mile I made Yeah I stayed, I stayed You don’t see it like I do You just see the skin Every mark is a mile I made [Outro, Stripped guitar; Room reverb fade] Just skin, just lines, still proof I didn’t disappear (yeah) Every mile I made Every mile I made