Sell Me a Story

blues-rock stomp, twelve-bar swagger with a modern dramatic build, distorted kick-and-floor-tom groove, groaning slide guitar answering the vocal, dirty electric bass, sparse barroom piano, handclaps in the chorus, gritty male baritone lead with cracked high notes, dramatic gospel backing vocals that widen on the hook, raw live-room mix, brief tension drop before the final chorus, strong stop-time accents

[Pre-Chorus]
I can pawn you my excuses
I can sign away the blame
But if mercy comes with handcuffs
I don’t want that kind of change

[Chorus]
Sell me a story, I’ll trade you my shame
Take every bad thing that answers my name
You want my sin? Fine—just don’t keep my soul
I’ll pay what I owe, but I won’t be your gold
Sell me a story, make the ending come true
I’ll give you the wreckage if redemption comes too

[Verse 2]
I tried to haggle with the preacher
Three good deeds for one old lie
Tried to tip the gatekeeper
With the tears I never cried
Then a woman at the bus stop
Said, “Boy, you can’t buy your way clean”
She put my change back in my hand
Like she knew what I had been

[Pre-Chorus]
I can pawn you my excuses
I can sign away the blame
But if mercy needs a witness
Let it testify to change

[Bridge]
No receipt, no little bargain
No clean stamp across my chest
If you’re taking all my darkness
Leave me something I can bless
I’ve been calling guilt a currency
I’ve been worshiping the cost
Maybe grace is not a purchase
Maybe grace is what I lost

[Breakdown]
Take the keys
Take the crown
Take the name I dragged through town
Take the night
Take the blame
Just don’t turn me into nothing in your name

[Final Chorus]
Sell me a story, I’ll trade you my shame
Take every bad thing that answers my name
You want my sin? Fine—just don’t keep my soul
I’ll pay what I owe, but I won’t be your gold
Sell me a story, let the old walls fall through
I’ll give you the wreckage, give me something new

[Outro]
I came here bargaining, empty and proud
You gave me no bargain—just a way out
You want my sin? Fine—take it and go
But leave me my soul
Leave me my soul

2225/7500

[Verse 1] I brought my ledger to your back door Every crooked line in black Got a pocket full of reasons And a lifetime of taking back You said, “Son, what’s the asking?” I said, “Name your price and write it down” But the bell kept ringing somewhere Underneath this borrowed town [Pre-Chorus] I can pawn you my excuses I can sign away the blame But if mercy comes with handcuffs I don’t want that kind of change [Chorus] Sell me a story, I’ll trade you my shame Take every bad thing that answers my name You want my sin? Fine—just don’t keep my soul I’ll pay what I owe, but I won’t be your gold Sell me a story, make the ending come true I’ll give you the wreckage if redemption comes too [Verse 2] I tried to haggle with the preacher Three good deeds for one old lie Tried to tip the gatekeeper With the tears I never cried Then a woman at the bus stop Said, “Boy, you can’t buy your way clean” She put my change back in my hand Like she knew what I had been [Pre-Chorus] I can pawn you my excuses I can sign away the blame But if mercy needs a witness Let it testify to change [Chorus] Sell me a story, I’ll trade you my shame Take every bad thing that answers my name You want my sin? Fine—just don’t keep my soul I’ll pay what I owe, but I won’t be your gold Sell me a story, make the ending come true I’ll give you the wreckage if redemption comes too [Bridge] No receipt, no little bargain No clean stamp across my chest If you’re taking all my darkness Leave me something I can bless I’ve been calling guilt a currency I’ve been worshiping the cost Maybe grace is not a purchase Maybe grace is what I lost [Breakdown] Take the keys Take the crown Take the name I dragged through town Take the night Take the blame Just don’t turn me into nothing in your name [Final Chorus] Sell me a story, I’ll trade you my shame Take every bad thing that answers my name You want my sin? Fine—just don’t keep my soul I’ll pay what I owe, but I won’t be your gold Sell me a story, let the old walls fall through I’ll give you the wreckage, give me something new [Outro] I came here bargaining, empty and proud You gave me no bargain—just a way out You want my sin? Fine—take it and go But leave me my soul Leave me my soul

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