[Intro] [A single hammer strike on an anvil, then silence. A long, slow exhale.] [Verse 1] I've carried weight that never made a sound Never told a soul, never put it down You carry a feather and call it a stone Tell the whole room how heavy you've grown [Verse 2] It's not that the hurt isn't real, I believe that it's true Pain doesn't need a competition to prove But there's a difference between bearing a thing And performing the bearing for everyone to see [Chorus] The weight you didn't carry, you sure carry loud You wear it like a banner, you wear it like a crown Real weight doesn't ask you to notice it's there It just bends your back and thins out your hair [Verse 3] I've watched you build a story out of every small complaint Turn a bruise into a scar, and the scar into a saint Somebody carries something every single day And never says a word, and never asks you to stay [Bridge] [Quieter, personal, almost gentle:] I'm not asking you to suffer more than what you've got. I'm asking you to notice when you haven't. A foundation doesn't announce the weight it holds. It just holds it. Quietly. Because someone has to. [Chorus] The weight you didn't carry, you sure carry loud You wear it like a banner, you wear it like a crown Real weight doesn't ask you to notice it's there It just bends your back and thins out your hair [Outro] [A single hammer strike, then stillness.] I'll carry mine. Just stop asking me to clap for yours. [Silence.]
