Means to an End [Intro — spoken, low and intimate] At first, it wasn’t supposed to be a life. Just a way out. Just enough to breathe. Just enough to pay the light bill. Just enough to put something back together. Funny how a means to an end can become the end. [Verse 1] Wakes up before the sunlight, staring at the ceiling Counting every dollar, calculating every feeling Rent due, phone disconnected, refrigerator empty Life asking for a payment when the pockets ain’t got plenty Started with a promise: “Just until the storm is over” One more week, one more deal, one more night getting closer Money came faster than a minimum-wage paycheck But every dollar carried something nobody could see yet Door locked, curtains closed, phone sitting on the table Mind running circles, wondering how long staying stable Can’t walk outside freely, can’t answer every knocking Can’t tell the family where the money really got in Every day becoming business, every night becoming tension Every face becoming numbers, every call becoming questions And somewhere underneath the hustle and the cash A little piece of conscience disappearing in the past [Pre-Chorus] Started thinking, “This is temporary” Started thinking, “This can save me” Started thinking, “Nobody’s getting hurt” Then the mirror started looking unfamiliar And the soul started asking what the money was worth [Chorus] It was only supposed to be a means to an end Now the end got closer every time the money came in Started selling poison just to buy another day Then watched the poison take the people away Family falling, friendships breaking Promises dying, mothers waiting Nobody wins when the whole room loses A means to an end became a chain with no movement [Verse 2] Seen the skinny bodies walking, eyes hollow in the face Life disappearing slowly while the money changed place Hands shaking in the doorway, begging for another chance Love standing outside while addiction took command Somebody’s child, somebody’s brother, somebody’s best friend Somebody’s whole future disappearing at the wrong end A relationship turns silent, trust turns into suspicion Every “I love you” gets buried underneath addiction And the seller knows the damage, even when pretending not to Knows exactly what the little bag can sometimes do Knows a family might be crying somewhere after midnight Knows another person might not make it through the night But money has a language desperation understands And desperation makes a person justify dirty hands “Everybody makes choices, nobody forced anybody” But a conscience doesn’t disappear just because money’s coming [Pre-Chorus] Started thinking, “This is temporary” Started thinking, “This can save me” Started thinking, “Nobody’s getting hurt” Then the mirror started looking unfamiliar And the soul started asking what the money was worth [Chorus] It was only supposed to be a means to an end Now the end got closer every time the money came in Started selling poison just to buy another day Then watched the poison take the people away Family falling, friendships breaking Promises dying, mothers waiting Nobody wins when the whole room loses A means to an end became a chain with no movement [Verse 3] Then one day the seller becomes the customer Same poison, different side of the counter Started with the pressure, ended with the craving Started making money, ended up enslaved to making Now the house feels smaller, silence feels louder Looking in the mirror like, “Who gave the devil power?” Skin getting thinner, eyes losing their fire Body telling stories the mouth refuses to tell any higher No appetite, no sleep, no peace Hands reaching for something that promises relief Money still coming, but nothing feels rich The trap doesn’t care who’s selling once addiction gets a grip The person who thought the game could be controlled Now wakes up every morning fighting for a soul And every little bag that once looked like salvation Now looks like evidence against an entire generation [Bridge — stripped piano, voice breaking] What does money mean When the mother won’t answer the phone? What does money mean When the child feels safer alone? What does money mean When friendship becomes a lie? What does money mean When somebody doesn’t make it home tonight? What does money mean When the mirror becomes an enemy? What does money mean When freedom starts feeling like a memory? A person can build a house And still have nowhere to live A person can make a fortune And have nothing left to give [Final Chorus — massive, emotional] It was only supposed to be a means to an end Now the end got closer every time the money came in Started selling poison just to buy another day Then watched the poison take the people away Family falling, friendships breaking Promises dying, mothers waiting Nobody wins when the whole room loses A means to an end became a chain with no movement It was only supposed to be a way back home Now the same road got a person walking alone Polo energy
