[Intro] (Tight 94 BPM swung hip-hop drum beat, warm Rhodes chords, clipped guitar accents) [Female] (conversational, low register) Look... I’m not here to count up who gave more or who gave less. We had our fun, we had our moments. Let's just shake hands and walk away clean. [Verse 1 - Female] (Confident bouncy groove, deep bass pulse driving the rhythm) You claim you were the one who called me first back in July, I remind you I was the one who stayed up late to hear you sigh. You paid for dinner when we took that weekend out of town, I paid in patience every time you had a moody breakdown. We kept a mental ledger of every little favor done, Trying to measure who was winning, who was losing ground. You gave me sweet attention when nobody was around, I gave you honesty when your world was spinning upside down. Now you're talking 'bout who owes who an apology tonight, Boy, we’re too grown to spend our evening picking a fight. [Pre-Chorus - Female] (Guitar accents rise, subtle backing harmonies build tension) I ain't gonna act like you never meant a thing to me, And you shouldn't act like I was just a passing memory. We both played a part, we both caught a little spark, So why turn a good thing into a battle in the dark? [Chorus - Female] (Smooth, catchy R&B bounce, stacked harmonies on the hook) Let's call it even, clear out the ledger, close the book, No bitter words, no second thoughts, no dirty look. You gave what you had, I gave what I could afford, Ain't nobody bankrupt, ain't nobody keeping score. I don't owe you a forever, you don't owe me a ring, We got the sweetness out of a temporary thing. So hold your head up, boy, let's call it even... Walk away with our freedom, no hard feelings when we're leaving. [Verse 2 - Female] (Rhythmically sharp beat, rounded bass line sliding under conversational delivery) I admit, there was a week I thought this might be something more, Before I noticed all the unspoken rules behind your door. You started asking where I went when I was out with friends, I started feeling like my personal space was making amends. Small misunderstandings turned into a heavy debt, Like every kiss required interest that we hadn't met. I liked the way you held me when the rain was coming down, I liked the chemistry we generated in this town. But affection shouldn't feel like a contract on the page, It's time to step off the stage before we turn it into rage. [Pre-Chorus - Female] (Guitar accents rise, subtle backing harmonies build tension) I ain't gonna act like you never meant a thing to me, And you shouldn't act like I was just a passing memory. We both played a part, we both caught a little spark, So why turn a good thing into a battle in the dark? [Chorus - Female] (Smooth, catchy R&B bounce, stacked harmonies on the hook) Let's call it even, clear out the ledger, close the book, No bitter words, no second thoughts, no dirty look. You gave what you had, I gave what I could afford, Ain't nobody bankrupt, ain't nobody keeping score. I don't owe you a forever, you don't owe me a ring, We got the sweetness out of a temporary thing. So hold your head up, boy, let's call it even... Walk away with our freedom, no hard feelings when we're leaving. [Bridge - Female] (Drums strip back to a soft rimshot, warm Rhodes piano, vulnerable delivery) Now don't get me wrong, it ain't easy just to walk away, There’s a piece of my heart that still wants to hear you stay. We shared some real laughs, we shared a couple of good tears, And those memories won't fade away throughout the years. I still care about you, I just care about my peace more, Leaving now with respect beats locking the door in a war... [Final Chorus - Female] (Full 2006 production lift, rich stacked harmonies, restrained ad-libs) Let's call it even (yeah, call it even, baby!), clear out the ledger, close the book, No bitter words, no second thoughts, no dirty look (no dirty look, no). You gave what you had, I gave what I could afford (gave what I could afford), Ain't nobody bankrupt, ain't nobody keeping score. I don't owe you a forever, you don't owe me a ring (don't owe me a ring), We got the sweetness out of a temporary thing. So hold your head up, boy, let's call it even... (call it even) Walk away with our freedom, no hard feelings when we're leaving. [Outro - Female] (Bouncy beat fading softly, Rhodes chords, relaxed vocal ad-libs) Zero balance. Nothing owed, nothing lost. Just a clean break. Yeah... we're even. (Fade out)
