Hard Ground Code

[Verse 1] I learned the law on the pavement Where a man's word is all he can hold You break it once and the pack turns Nobody feeds a thief in the cold [Verse 2] There's a code written in hunger In the alleys where the broken ones meet Share your bread when another's got nothing Or you sleep with your back to the street [Chorus] The world don't care if you're honest The world don't care if you're kind But the ones down here in the gutter We remember who left us behind (We remember) (We remember) [Verse 3] I seen a boy take another man's blanket Come the morning they found him beat down Not the police, not the law that's written Just the justice of men on hard ground [Verse 4] There's wisdom in having nothing When nothing's all you can lose You learn who stands when the wind turns And who runs when you're too weak to move [Chorus] The world don't care if you're honest The world don't care if you're kind But the ones down here in the gutter We remember who left us behind (We remember) (We remember) [Bridge] Every scar is a lesson Every night is a test The ruthless inherit the pavement But honor's all we got left [Outro] So keep your word or keep walking There ain't no middle way here The street forgives many burdens But a broken trust disappears