[Chorus] When everything is going right, they gather round You’ve got a thousand friends who swear they’re true But let cruel fate come crashing down on you And all those loyal faces can’t be found When life decides to throw you in the fire You see the truth behind the grand facade The ones you trusted suddenly play God And faithful friends are all that you desire [Interlude] My brother, don’t get this confused: Just because you deal with people from the heart, Doesn’t mean everybody deals from the heart. [Verse 1] My mind has always worked a little skeptical I learned that trust can leave you feeling cold So even when the brightest truth gets told I wouldn’t put my faith in something electrical I guard my chest, there ain’t much left to save Too many knives have taught me what they cost I took so many in the back, it’s lost And sometimes blood’s the deepest wound they gave That’s why I stay alert around the flock Even if I know you, I still watch what you do You don’t need to warn me—I can see right through I learned to keep my eyes around the clock Just take the lesson Jesus left behind the cross Remember who betrayed him with a kiss The closest ones can put you through all this And teach you what companionship can cost I’ve lived through every stage, I know the game This shit gets hard when everything goes black I know that life is built to hit you back But every scar has taught me all the same I’ve helped half the world when they were in need But when I need somebody, who comes through? I’ve stood beside them when they had no clue Yet when I’m drowning, who will do the deed? The struggle doesn’t hurt me anymore at night I’ve been a better friend when things went wrong Than when the drinks were flowing all night long They swore it came from heart—then left my address out of sight [Chorus] When everything is going right, they gather round You’ve got a thousand friends who swear they’re true But let cruel fate come crashing down on you And all those loyal faces can’t be found When life decides to throw you in the fire You see the truth behind the grand facade The ones you trusted suddenly play God And faithful friends are all that you desire [Verse 2] Everybody loves you when you’re riding high When women surround you, everybody wants your name When you’re ranked on top, they wanna share the fame But lose what makes you useful—watch them pass you by They call when there’s a party they can crash They call when concert tickets might come free But nobody calls just asking after me They only know my number when there’s something they can snatch They disappear the second I’m in need They say “thanks,” but gratitude is gone Take what they can get, then they move on Hypocrisy is all they ever breed As far as I’m concerned, they all can go None of them are family to me Fake as any fantasy you’ll ever see Sometimes I’m embarrassed that I knew them so That’s why every seat beside me stays alone They’re decorations riding next to me I learned that solitude can set you free Better your own road than begging for a bone Stay by yourself and build it on your own Once can be a lesson—you survive the pain Twice is just deciding to repeat the same After that, you’re choosing what you should have known Forget about that person; take your rail Keep moving forward, even if you fall You learn eventually you need no one at all Because when darkness comes, no faithful friend may prevail [Chorus] When everything is going right, they gather round You’ve got a thousand friends who swear they’re true But let cruel fate come crashing down on you And all those loyal faces can’t be found When life decides to throw you in the fire You see the truth behind the grand facade The ones you trusted suddenly play God And faithful friends are all that you desire
