Lunchbox Pride

[Intro — low spoken, gritty] Ain’t no cape on his shoulders Ain’t no statue with his name Just a lunchbox by the doorway and a body full of ache [Verse 1] He wakes up in the dark while the house still sleeps Coffee in a paper cup mud on last week’s jeans Boots by the back door belt worn thin Same old truck coughing but it starts again He don’t talk much he just checks the time Kisses baby on the forehead keeps the worry off his mind Clock don’t care what his back feels like Bills don’t care if he slept last night There’s a wall needs raising there’s a road needs laid There’s a roof needs holding there’s a man getting paid Not rich not famous not chasing no crown Just trying to keep food where love sits down [Pre-Chorus] Nobody sees the weight when he loads it on his spine Nobody hears the prayers behind that overtime But the little eyes watching know exactly who he is He ain’t just working he’s building life for them [Chorus] No cape just callused hands No spotlight just a working man Brick by brick beam by beam He builds the world then comes home clean No medals no marching band Just dirt on his shirt and a lunchbox plan The world may never call him brave But heroes still clock in every day [Post-Chorus — chant] Brick by brick beam by beam Road by road dream by dream Hands get worn boots get old But he still stands where the weight gets thrown [Verse 2] He’s mixed mortar he’s swung steel He’s fixed things he don’t own or feel Poured slabs hung doors carried lumber through the rain Turned a sore shoulder into one more day He’s watched bosses talk like the hands don’t matter Watched suits walk by while the boots got battered But when the storm comes down and the roof don’t move Somebody better thank the man who tightened every screw He ain’t asking for pity he ain’t begging for praise He just wants his kids to have better days Wants the lights still on when he pulls in late Wants a plate on the table and peace at the gate [Pre-Chorus] Nobody sees the weight when he loads it on his spine Nobody hears the prayers behind that overtime But the family sleeping under what he provides Know the strongest kind of love don’t always look soft from outside [Chorus] No cape just callused hands No spotlight just a working man Brick by brick beam by beam He builds the world then comes home clean No medals no marching band Just dirt on his shirt and a lunchbox plan The world may never call him brave But heroes still clock in every day [Bridge — emotional build, rugged] This one’s for the masons the framers the roofers the drivers The welders the diggers the fixers the providers The ones with sunburnt necks and dust in their lungs The ones who got old while their babies were young The ones who miss games but still pay for the cleats The ones who eat cold lunch in the passenger seat The ones who don’t say much but their love weighs tons The ones who build shelter then run home to become one A father a brother a husband a friend A man with rough hands trying to make something bend Not the world maybe just the odds for his kin That’s hero work even if nobody calls it that then [Breakdown — stomp / chant] No cape no crown Still holds it down No stage no fame Still carries the name Brick dust work boots Bent backs deep roots One check one plan Still standing like a man [Final Chorus] No cape just callused hands No spotlight just a working man Brick by brick beam by beam He builds the world then comes home clean No medals no marching band Just dirt on his shirt and a lunchbox plan The world may never call him brave But heroes still clock in every day [Outro — low spoken] Some heroes don’t fly They kneel in the dust lay the brick straight and make sure the people they love got somewhere safe to sleep