Castles in the Sandbox [Grunge it up!]

[Intro] La-la-la, la-la-lie, Build it up and watch it die. [Verse 1] Oh, bravo, look at me, the sandbox king, A genius with a bucket and a broken thing. I stacked the grains with so much care, A palace, a joke, a waste of air. Tiny flags in a kingdom of dirt, One wet cloud and the whole thing hurts. I pressed my hands into useless land, Like anything here would understand. [Pre-Chorus] The sun so kindly burned down bright, As if to mock my little might. I carved the walls with shaking hands, A monument to pointless plans. [Chorus] Castles in the sandbox, La-la-la, they never last. A throne for five damn minutes long, Then someone buries all the past. Castles in the sandbox, A crown of dirt and shame. Smile while the towers tumble down, Then ask me why I came. [Verse 2] Then came the rain, what a grand surprise, A perfect joke from grinning skies. The towers slumped, the moat went black, And every careful line sank back. Or maybe it was you, my dear, With your clown shoes and picnic cheer. You crushed it flat with one clean stomp, Then said, "Let's try again" — what a joke. [Pre-Chorus] The bucket cracked, the shovel bent, The little king has paid his rent. I wore that smile you like to see, While something ugly ate at me. [Chorus] Castles in the sandbox, La-la-la, they never last. A throne for five damn minutes long, Then someone buries all the past. Castles in the sandbox, No stone, no wall, no trust. The world lines up to watch them fall, Then grinds them back to dust. [Bridge] La-la-la, la-la-lie, Clap your hands and watch it die. La-la-la, la-la-lie, Happy little lullaby. [Final Chorus] Castles in the sandbox, La-la-la, they never last. A throne for five damn minutes long, Then someone buries all the past. Castles in the sandbox, No stone, no wall, no trust. I build the joke, I name it home, Then watch it turn to dust. [Outro] I'll build it again, of course I will, With both hands shaking, bitter and still. The sand won't care, and neither will you, But give me a bucket, I'll make it look new. A castle, a lie, a grain of dust, A lesson in how stupid trust is. La-la-la, la-la-lie, Build it up and watch it die.