[Verse 1] What about meaning? What about the hands? What about the hours built by flesh and plans? What about purpose? What about the time? What about the people standing in that line? [Pre-Chorus] You can’t just call it progress and leave the room cold There’s a name on every payroll there’s a story in the mold [Chorus] What about purpose? What about the ones? What about the workers who carried all that was done? (carried it) What about purpose? What about the ones? If you take the work away who holds the morning sun? (who holds it) [Verse 2] There’s a lunchbox in the locker there’s a ring left in a drawer There’s a bus stop in the rain they know the route by heart There’s a mother on the loading dock there’s a son with grease-black hands They didn’t ask for empty promises they asked to understand [Pre-Chorus] You can’t just call it progress and leave the room cold There’s a name on every payroll there’s a story in the mold [Chorus] What about purpose? What about the ones? What about the workers who carried all that was done? (carried it) What about purpose? What about the ones? If you take the work away who holds the morning sun? (who holds it) [Bridge] And if the machine keeps moving who gets to stay? Who keeps the picture when the frame is taken away? I need more than numbers I need a reason to stand I need to know my life was more than a plan in a hand (more than a plan) [Final Chorus] What about purpose? What about the ones? What about the workers who carried all that was done? (carried it) What about purpose? What about the ones? If you take the work away who holds the morning sun? (who holds it) What about purpose? What about the ones? (the ones) What about the human beings who would have spent their lives doing that work?
