[Instrumental Intro] [Verse 1] Used to measure love in paper stacks and diamond cuts, But the higher that I climbed, the less I felt enough. Had brothers turn to strangers, strangers act like blood, Now I toast to memories drowned in what was once my trust. I’ve seen fame turn the humble into monuments of pride, And I ain’t innocent — I let that poison coincide. Mama said, “Boy, the mirror don’t lie, it cries,” But I was too busy chasin’ reflections in dollar signs. Every move strategic, but my soul off-balance, Talkin’ morals in the booth while I’m jugglin’ malice. They call it power — I call it penance in disguise, ‘Cause I traded peace of mind for a televised life. Now I’m sittin’ in this penthouse, colder than a cell, All this freedom still feelin’ like a different kind of hell. [Hook] They call me king, but they don’t see me bleed inside, Gold on my head, but the pain I can’t disguise. Built this throne from tears that I never let fall down, Ain’t no glory in the story of a broken crown. Yeah, I smile when the lights come around, But every cheer just echoes the sound, Of the nights I fought myself, no one around — Heavy is the head with the broken crown. --- [Verse 2] I done bought forgiveness with donations and advice, But how you heal a wound that’s been cut by your own knife? Told my son, “Be a man, never bend, never fold,” But I pray he breaks the cycle of the lies I told. My crown’s heavy from the secrets I buried alive, Every jewel a confession that my ego survived. It’s ironic how the king fears the mirror more than death, ‘Cause reflections show the truth that success can’t protect. Used to flex pain in the form of a watch and a chain, Now I’d trade every shine just to feel sane. I walk through the city, they salute my name, But they don’t see the storm hidin’ under this fame. ‘Cause behind closed doors, the applause don’t last, And the echo of regret is the shadow of the past. [Hook] They call me king, but they don’t see me bleed inside, Gold on my head, but the pain I can’t disguise. Built this throne from tears that I never let fall down, Ain’t no glory in the story of a broken crown. Yeah, I smile when the lights come around, But every cheer just echoes the sound, Of the nights I fought myself, no one around — Heavy is the head with the broken crown. --- [Verse 3] They said “heavy is the head,” I just laughed it off, Now I feel the weight crushin’ every mask I wore off. Had lawyers and accountants but no one to call friend, ‘Cause the higher you ascend, the more you pretend. I got ghosts in my closet wearin’ chains of success, Whisperin’, “King, you rich — but you still a mess.” Every bar that I write’s like a therapy session, Tryna free my spirit from material possession. It’s a paradox — pain built my empire walls, But the same bricks now echo my downfall calls. Still, I rise through the guilt, standin’ tall on shame, ‘Cause redemption ain’t soft, it’s earned through pain. So I wear my flaws like medals in a soldier’s fight, Broken crown on my head, but I still shine bright. [Hook] They call me king, but they don’t see me bleed inside, Gold on my head, but the pain I can’t disguise. Built this throne from tears that I never let fall down, Ain’t no glory in the story of a broken crown. Yeah, I smile when the lights come around, But every cheer just echoes the sound, Of the nights I fought myself, no one around — Heavy is the head with the broken crown. --- [Verse 4] If the kingdom falls, let it crumble in grace, Better to lose the world than forget my place. No more masks, no more lies for the charts, Just truth bleedin’ raw from a king with scars. I’ve seen fame feed the beast, love starve the man, But I’m learnin’ to forgive who I was, if I can. Now I pray more, talk less, breathe slow, think deep, Tryna sow peace in the garden I couldn’t keep. Every lesson paid in pain, interest in regret, But the debt made me wiser than the gold I get. They say crowns are for royalty — nah, they for scars, Symbols of survival in a world full of guards. So when I bow my head, don’t mistake it for loss, It’s just a king layin’ down his cross. [Hook] They call me king, but they don’t see me bleed inside, Gold on my head, but the pain I can’t disguise. Built this throne from tears that I never let fall down, Ain’t no glory in the story of a broken crown. Yeah, I smile when the lights come around, But every cheer just echoes the sound, Of the nights I fought myself, no one around — Heavy is the head with the broken crown. [Instrumental Outro]
