Hot pavement, cheap shoes, long way home Learned real quick how to stay alone Doors slam hard, voices cut deep Got real good at not making a peep Truth stayed buried under my tongue Played it straight, stayed quiet, stayed young Did what I had to just to get by Didn’t ask questions, didn’t ask why Then you drove up, no big scene Red the room, knew what I mean Didn’t push, didn’t preach, didn’t pry Just said, “Kid, you don’t gotta lie” Didn’t know you, but you’re my brother now Showed me up, showed me how Stand up straight, say it out loud Yeah, you flipped my whole world around Call it luck, call it truth somehow You’re the brother I chose, no doubt No fear left, no backing down Didn’t know you, but you’re my brother now White coat, steady hands, low-key calm Fixing folks ain't no thing, no alarm But you clocked every crack in me Like you knew what I didn’t wanna see Said, “You’re fine the way you are Don’t shrink down just to dodge the scar” First time I didn’t feel off-track First time I didn’t take it all back You kept it simple, cut it clean Changed the way I see me No big speech, no grand plan Just helped me stand like a man Didn’t know you, but you’re my brother now Showed me up, showed me how Stand up straight, say it out loud Yeah, you flipped my whole world around Call it luck, call it truth somehow You’re the brother I chose, no doubt No fear left, no backing down Didn’t know you, but you’re my brother now Old house, same hall, same threat Some things you don’t forget You didn’t ask, didn’t need the names Just saw enough, knew the game Then one night it all went still No more edge, no more chill Whatever was there ain’t there no more Made sure of that with a bullet hole! No talk, no credit, no victory lap Just less weight on my back And I don’t ask how, don’t need to know Just know you handled what I couldn’t handle alone Didn’t know you, but you’re my brother now Say it straight, say it loud Came from nothing, standing proud Yeah, I’m not that kid no more now Call it luck, call it truth somehow You’re the brother I chose, no doubt No fear left, no backing down Didn’t know you— Yeah, you’re my brother now No big words, no drawn-out prose Just the brother I chose.
