[Verse 1] New city, new badge, new floor I don't know yet. Milan in July, still light at eight PM. Suitcase half-open, mirror says I'm ready. Biggest job I've had and no one here to tell. [Pre-Chorus] [airy, self-satisfied] So I went downstairs just to feel the air. One drink, maybe two, I wasn't going anywhere. [Verse 2] He sat down easy, didn't ask my title. Talked about the city like he owned a piece of it. No last names, no LinkedIn, just a good night that got longer than I planned. [Pre-Chorus] So I went downstairs just to feel the air. One drink, maybe two, I wasn't going anywhere. [Chorus] [cold drop, dry delivery] Walked into the room, nine AM, first day. He's at the head of the table. I'm on his payroll. Last night's stranger signs my checks now. Milan, you absolute— I'm on his payroll. [Verse 3] Nobody saw it. I kept my face still. Opened my notebook, clicked my pen twice. Is this funny? Yeah, this is funny. Or it will be in about a year. [Pre-Chorus] [loaded, slower] So I'd gone downstairs just to feel the air. One drink. Maybe two. I had no idea. [Chorus] Walked into the room, nine AM, first day. He's at the head of the table. I'm on his payroll. Last night's stranger signs my checks now. Milan, you absolute— I'm on his payroll. [Bridge] [rapped, close-mic, dry, fast] Michael's in Los Feliz, watching the same shows, texting me goodnight like he always does. We don't talk about what happens when we're gone. We don't talk about it because we don't have to. He's got his work trips, I've got mine. Six thousand miles is its own kind of time. I love him, yeah, that's not the question. The question is what just walked into my morning. [Verse 4] He didn't blink either. Passed me the agenda. Professional, clean, like I imagined it. Same kind of person. Same kind of distance. This might actually be the least complicated thing. [Pre-Chorus] [quiet resolve] So I went back downstairs every night that week. One drink, maybe two. I knew exactly where I was going. [Chorus] Walked into the room, nine AM, first day. He's at the head of the table. I'm on his payroll. Last night's stranger signs my checks now. Milan, you absolute— I'm on his payroll. [Outro] [synth fade, half-tempo] I'm on his payroll. I'm on his payroll.
