STRINGS ATTACHED [Verse 1] You slipped a little money in my hand Said, “Take it, you don't have to understand” But nothing in this world comes free There was a little piece of you tied to me You smiled like you were doing me a favor But every favor has a taste of danger I felt the pressure underneath the grace Like a fingerprint I couldn't wash away [Pre-Chorus] You never said what I would owe You just made sure I'd never know [Chorus] Dirty money, strings attached Pull me forward, pull me back Every dollar had a hook Every promise came with a look You called it kindness, I called it control You put your price tag on my soul Dirty money, dressed up clean Nothing's ever what it seems [Verse 2] You kept a ledger I could never see Of every little thing you did for me And when I wouldn't play the part You pulled the thread and showed me where you held my heart You thought that desperation made me yours Thought I'd keep crawling back for more But there's a line between a hand and a chain And I finally learned the difference between them [Pre-Chorus] You thought I'd always need your rope But I found something stronger than your hope [Chorus] Dirty money, strings attached Pull me forward, pull me back Every dollar had a hook Every promise came with a look You called it kindness, I called it control You put your price tag on my soul Dirty money, dressed up clean Nothing's ever what it seems [Bridge] Keep your money Keep your deal Keep the way you made me feel I'd rather have an empty hand Than owe you more than I can stand You can't buy me You can't own me You don't get to write my story Cut the strings Let them fall I'd rather have nothing Than belong to you at all [Final Chorus] Dirty money, strings attached I won't let you pull me back Every dollar had a hook Every promise was a crooked look You called it kindness, I called it control But you don't get to buy my soul Dirty money, keep your crown I'm cutting every damn string down [Outro] No more strings No more debt No more things I should regret You can keep your dirty money I know what it costs now
