Back From The War

[Intro]
Boots by the door
Dog tags swing on the mirror
Mama say I made it home
But it still feel like I'm not here (yeah)
[Verse 1]
Came back, same house, new ghosts
Night sweats, cold bed, can't cope
See sand in the cracks of my phone
Hear laughs in the static of the tone
I still set plates for the ones that ain't eat
Talk to your chair when I take my seat
Scroll through pics like it's roll call
Say your names 'fore I try to sleep
They clap hands, say "thank you for your service"
Smile big, but inside I'm feelin' worthless
You got flags, I got flashes
You got posts, I got ashes
Whole squad in a frame on the dresser
Every face on my brain like a lecture
How I walk in the mall, feel small
Like I'm still out there waitin' on a call (yeah)
[Chorus]
I'm back from the war but the war ain't back from me
Still bang in my head like a broken movie scene
Fightin' all these demons I can't even let you see
But I won't forget my brothers
nah, I keep 'em all with me
I wake in the dark, hear you callin' out my name
Try to fall apart, but I gotta hold the pain
If I'm breathin' here, then your memory's gonna breathe
I won't forget my brothers
you still march inside of me (inside of me)
[Verse 2]
Medals in a drawer, I don't open that
Feels wrong that I get to wear hope like a hat
When you lay in a box underground, that's facts
Why the good ones go, and the broken come back?
Therapist talk, but he never heard rounds
Never saw red wash over the brown
So I nod, say "sure," then I drive downtown
Park by the river just to try not to drown
See your mom once a month at the store
She say I look tired, I say "just sore"
She don't know I still stand by your door
In my head, waitin' for you to walk in from the tour
Got a list in my phone with your birthdays
Text drafts that I write on the worst days
"Miss you, bro" that I never hit send
So I pray that the signal can reach where you went (yeah)
[Chorus]
I'm back from the war but the war ain't back from me
Still bang in my head like a broken movie scene
Fightin' all these demons I can't even let you see
But I won't forget my brothers
nah, I keep 'em all with me
I wake in the dark, hear you callin' out my name
Try to fall apart, but I gotta hold the pain
If I'm breathin' here, then your memory's gonna breathe
I won't forget my brothers
you still march inside of me
[Bridge]
Tell me why I get the second chance
Why I walk while you don't leave the past
Why your mom got your folded flag
While I drag 'round a soul gone black
If my chest still drum, then I'm livin' for you
Every step that I take, that's two
Every breath that I waste on regret
I'ma flip that, live loud for the dead (live loud)
[Chorus]
I'm back from the war but the war ain't back from me
Still bang in my head like a broken movie scene
Fightin' all these demons I can't even let you see
But I won't forget my brothers
nah, I keep 'em all with me
I wake in the dark, hear you callin' out my name
Try to fall apart, but I gotta hold the pain
If I'm breathin' here, then your memory's gonna breathe
I won't forget my brothers
you still march inside of me (yeah)
You still march inside of me

rap, Moody hybrid of emo rap and melodic trap: male vocals switching between rapid-fire confessional rap and soaring, vulnerable hooks. Dark, detuned synth pads and roomy piano over a sparse, knocking beat, 808 glides, and distant vocal chops. Choruses bloom with stacked harmonies and airy reverb; verses stay tight and dry in the center. Occasional half-time drops and filtered drums for impact when the pain hits hardest., hip hop, r&b, alternative r&b, pop, emo