Measure Twice

Title: Measure Twice [Intro — beat-first / tape snap rhythm] [Tape measure snap, pencil mark, saw blade spin-up, deep 808 groove building, no spoken intro] [Chant Intro] Pull that tape mark that line Clear that noise take your time Measure twice move once Whole day lines up when the mind gets plumb [Verse 1] Morning came fast but I slow my hands Tape on the board with a sharper plan Pencil hits wood like a quiet command I don’t rush the cut just to prove I can I used to move quick when my head got loud Turn a small mistake into a whole dark cloud Now I check my line before the blade gets fed Learned half my trouble came from what I guessed There’s a lesson in a square when the corner sits true There’s a sermon in the level when the bubble don’t move There’s a whole kind of peace in a clean first mark When a man stops building from a hurried heart I ain’t slow I’m precise I don’t gamble with the board when the board got price Let the low end knock let the sawdust jump Measure twice move once [Pre-Chorus] Snap that line hold it steady Hands know work when the mind gets ready No wild cut no wasted run Measure twice move once [Chorus] Measure twice move once Let the whole day line up when the bass line thumps Measure twice move once A straight cut starts where the thought gets plumb I don’t chase speed I chase clean I don’t need loud I need what I mean Tape pulled tight pencil kissed the front Measure twice move once [Post-Chorus — chant] Line it level Mark it settle Cut clean stay sharp Don’t let hurry run the heart Line it level Mark it settle Measure twice move once [Verse 2] I’ve seen men lose hours to a bad first choice Wrong angle cut cause they rushed through noise Same thing happens when the spirit gets stirred You can ruin a day with an unchecked word So I breathe through the static let the moment get square Put the old reaction down right there Not every urge needs a saw blade answer Not every mood gets to be the foreman Sometimes strength is a pause with purpose Sometimes wisdom wears a dusty shirt Sometimes power is a pencil line Drawn real straight in a crooked time Now I move like a man who learned his craft Let the old rush die let the new plan last When the world gets loud and the job gets tough Measure twice move once [Pre-Chorus] Snap that line hold it steady Hands know work when the mind gets ready No wild cut no wasted run Measure twice move once [Chorus] Measure twice move once Let the whole day line up when the bass line thumps Measure twice move once A straight cut starts where the thought gets plumb I don’t chase speed I chase clean I don’t need loud I need what I mean Tape pulled tight pencil kissed the front Measure twice move once [Bridge — stomp / precision chant] Tape out mark down Square up clean sound Blade hum board flat Mind clear cut that Plumb line true face No rush right pace Strong hands calm front Measure twice move once [Breakdown — low groove] A crooked cut will tell on you A crooked thought can sell on you Straighten the line before you run Measure twice move once [Final Chorus] Measure twice move once Let the whole day line up when the bass line thumps Measure twice move once A straight cut starts where the thought gets plumb I don’t chase speed I chase clean I don’t need loud I need what I mean Tape pulled tight pencil kissed the front Measure twice move once [Outro — chant fades] Pull that tape mark that line Clear that noise take your time Measure twice move once