Seven Empty Stones

Seven Empty Stones [Verse 1] I wore seven colors around my neck, Seven little suns I had paid to collect, Every one a trophy, every one a scar, Proof that I had traveled from the gutter to the stars. I watched them in the mirror, shining on my skin, Like victory was something you could fasten with a pin, But every night a shadow came and whispered through the room, “You built yourself a palace On somebody else’s wound.” [Pre-Chorus] I had gold against my heartbeat, But no peace beneath my bones, Funny how a crowded necklace Can make a man feel so alone. [Chorus] So I gave the diamonds back, One by one, one by one, And every time a stone was gone I felt a little lighter in the sun. I thought the treasure made me rich, I thought the shine had made me whole, But seven empty places Put the diamonds in my soul. Seven empty stones, Seven debts undone, I lost the things that glittered And found the man I’d become. [Verse 2] Then an old face found me With a fire in his eyes, He didn’t raise his voice at all, He didn’t need to shout his lies— No, the truth was sharp enough To cut the years in two, And suddenly the man I feared Was the younger man I knew. I remembered every shortcut, Every bargain dressed as fate, Every hand I left behind me While I hurried through the gate. And I learned the past is patient, It can sleep beneath the floor, But guilt remembers every key To every hidden door. [Pre-Chorus] I had gold against my heartbeat, But no peace beneath my bones, Then I saw the weight I carried Was never made of stones. [Chorus] So I gave the diamonds back, One by one, one by one, And every time a stone was gone I felt a little lighter in the sun. I thought the treasure made me rich, I thought the shine had made me whole, But seven empty places Put the diamonds in my soul. Seven empty stones, Seven debts undone, I lost the things that glittered And found the man I’d become. [Bridge — sparse, intimate] What is a jewel If somebody cried for it? What is success If another soul paid for it? What is a crown When you cannot sleep beneath it? What is a life If your own heart won’t believe it? So I opened every locked room, Called the names I used to hide, And every time forgiveness came, Something dying came alive. [Final Chorus — full lift] I gave the diamonds back, One by one, one by one, Till nothing but the empty chain Was glowing in the morning sun. And I never looked more wealthy, Never stood so tall and whole, Seven empty places Put the diamonds in my soul. Seven empty stones, Seven wrongs made right, I traded all their borrowed fire For one good night. [Outro — almost whispered] Now the necklace weighs nothing, And neither do my dreams. Funny how an empty setting Can hold more than it seems. Seven empty stones… No treasure left to show. But for the first time in my life, I have somewhere clean to go.