Made It Home

[Intro — spoken, close mic] I keep my face in pieces half signal, half shield half father, half ghost half machine I built so I could feel [Verse 1 — spoken rap] I learned to read the city through the shutter click Downtown light on a busted lip false anger on a stranger’s face like the world got paid to look away from it I keep a camera where the wound should be black frame, red light, chemistry push the film when the night gets thin pull the truth from the silver skin LA taught me: don’t wait for saints they protect the glass, not the hands that break so we take care of our own out here with a roll in the dark and a voice in fear [Pre-Chorus — melodic] And I know I come in loud sometimes but that’s just sparks from the wire I was never trying to burn it down I was trying to build a fire [Chorus — sung] I’m still here in the developer light turning damage into something I can hold all my shadows bloom white in the chemicals below Use my real voice when the mask gets tight let the cracks stay in the tone I don’t want to sound perfect tonight I want to sound like I made it home [Verse 2 — spoken rap, more rhythm] I made gods out of helmets and chrome little pilots with no faces flown through a sky that I stitched from scraps movie-star dreams with the visor black Got two small moons in my gravity little hands pulling life back into me I can rage at the static, rage at the screen then soften up when they look at me I’m not clean, I’m not calm, I’m not done I’m a double exposure in the sun one frame father, one frame beast one frame praying for a little peace [Pre-Chorus — sung] And every mask I ever wore wasn’t hiding what was true it was just a door I built so I could walk back through [Chorus — sung, bigger] I’m still here in the developer light turning damage into something I can hold all my shadows bloom white in the chemicals below Use my real voice when the mask gets tight let the cracks stay in the tone I don’t want to sound perfect tonight I want to sound like I made it home [Bridge — whispered, cinematic] Grain in the blood chrome in the lung halation around everyone I love No saint in the frame no cop in the trust just us, just us, just us [Verse 3 — half sung, half rap] If I build a jet, it’s because I needed distance if I build a mask, it’s because I needed witness if I build a song from the bruise in my chest let the bad notes prove I existed Streetlights flicker like old projectors my heart cuts fast like a film editor I’m not asking the night to forgive me I’m asking the morning to remember [Final Chorus — emotional, real voice forward] I’m still here in the developer light turning damage into something I can hold all my shadows bloom white in the chemicals below Use my real voice when the mask gets tight let the cracks stay in the tone I don’t want to sound perfect tonight I want to sound like I made it home [Outro — spoken] Keep the breath keep the grain keep the little broken places that prove it was me