[Verse 1] I woke in a hedge with a map in my chest Little black needle coat, I was built for the test Every fence got taller, every gate got mean Every hand in the town got a rule machine They want my paws in line, want my nose shut tight Want my hunger in a cage and my shadow in light But I keep my own lane, I keep my own name Got a spine full of thunder and a no-onesame game I don't bow for the badge, don't kneel for the crown If the ground gets bought up, I still move underground They can count every step, they can tax every breath I still curl into a question they can't dress [Pre-Chorus] I feel the net come near I hear the orders clear But I was made for the bramble Made for the sting [Chorus] Quills up high, quills up high I won't live a penned-in life Quills up high, quills up high I was born to bite the sky Quills up high, quills up high Try to fence me, I survive Quills up high, quills up high Freedom's sharp and I'm alive [Verse 2] Now the road got signs with a face and a threat Every turn got a witness, every word got a debt They talk sweet about peace while they lock every door Say "be good, be grateful," then they ask for more I seen neighbors turn quiet, seen old laughs fade Seen big boots on the porch where the children played But I got little feet and a stubborn heart I can hear a locked world split apart If they call me trouble, then trouble I am If they want a soft pet, they picked the wrong lamb I'm a porcupine prince with a dust-covered grin And I carry my freedom in the tips of my skin [Pre-Chorus] I feel the net come near I hear the orders clear But I was made for the bramble Made for the sting [Chorus] Quills up high, quills up high I won't live a penned-in life Quills up high, quills up high I was born to bite the sky Quills up high, quills up high Try to fence me, I survive Quills up high, quills up high Freedom's sharp and I'm alive [Bridge] If they shave off the wild, what is left to save? Just a sleepwalking herd in a polished cage So I roll through the dark with my stubborn light One small beast against a wall of night [Final Chorus] Quills up high, quills up high I won't live a penned-in life Quills up high, quills up high I was born to bite the sky Quills up high, quills up high Try to fence me, I survive Quills up high, quills up high Freedom's sharp and I'm alive
