[Verse 1: honey-voiced southern soul male crooner, rapping warm and strong over the huge drums] Came home in October with a bag and forty dollars cash Three years down, and every landlord in the city saw my past Every window that I walked to had a box I had to check Every box was like a fence, and every fence was round my neck Then you walked into the leasing office in your Sunday blue Told the lady "Run it under me, and put him under too" She looked at you, she looked at me, she looked at you again Then she slid that paper over, and you clicked your own pen First apartment with my name on it, a mattress on the floor And your name right under mine on the mailbox by the door [Hook: southern soul crooner, sung full voice, layered harmonies behind him] You co-signed me when nobody would Put your name under mine when my name was no good Every lease, every loan, every paper I signed There was you, right beside, on that little blue line [Verse 2: crooner, rapped harder, the celesta glinting over the kick] Then the car lot out on Route 6 for a sedan that barely ran Man said "Who's gonna guarantee him?" You said "Write it down, I can" Then the phone, then the job, then the judge at my review You wrote him two whole pages, front and back, and every word was true Every door I had to knock on, you were standin' at my side Every "no" they had for me, you had a "yes," and then you signed So I paid every bill on time like your name was on the line 'Cause it was, and I'd go hungry 'fore I let your number slide [Hook] You co-signed me when nobody would Put your name under mine when my name was no good Every lease, every loan, every paper I signed There was you, right beside, on that little blue line [Bridge: crooner sings over the celesta and the glassy guitar, the drums still pounding under him] Never asked me what I did Never asked me where I been [Harmony Stack: on the last line his voice splits into a three-part stacked harmony, then the drums crash back] Just asked me where to sign [Verse 3: crooner, rapped with full weight, the band at full power] Seven years, I run a crew, and now we're closin' on a house Banker pulled your file, and both his eyebrows headed south Said "Ma'am, I have to ask, this number's lower than his has ever been" Turns out you were five-forty every time you signed me in Not a dollar, not a car, no house to put up on the line All you had to back me with was a name as bad as mine So you walked in every office and you looked 'em in the eye Till they took your word for collateral, and baby, so did I So today I'm signin' first, and you can sign beneath me, see First time in your life somebody's vouchin' for you, and it's me [Hook] You co-signed me when nobody would Put your name under mine when my name was no good Every lease, every loan, every paper I signed There was you, right beside, on that little blue line [End]
