Cost To High

(Intro)

Radio’s just static again,

coffee’s gone cold on the dash.

Sky’s still black when I leave out,

same road, same rut, same past.

Town still sleeping like it don’t know

how hard it is to keep things afloat.

Gas light flickers on empty hope,

and I whisper, “Lord, don’t let me choke.”

(Verse 1 )

Cost of living’s too damn high,

work all day just to survive.

Payday comes, it’s gone again,

slips right through my calloused hands.

They say “be home, be a dad,”

but overtime’s all I’ve had.

If I don’t run these hours long,

how’s that roof still holding on?

(Verse 2)

Every month another bill,

every store another kill.

Holidays dressed up in gold,

just another hand in my home.

Try to save, they call you cheap,

try to sleep, you can’t sleep deep.

I’ve gone hungry more than once

just to make sure they had enough.

(Chorus)

Cost of living’s too damn high,

I work my life just to get by.

By the time that Friday comes,

that hard-earned pay is already gone.

I miss the supper, miss the prayers,

chasing time that ain’t nowhere.

Break my back to hold it on,

trying to keep this family strong.

(Verse 3)

White house talks like they know me,

like they’ve ever had to bleed.

Never counted change for bread,

never laid awake in dread.

Left and right, same tired game,

different colors, same old names.

Promise change, then turn away,

leave us holding what they break.

While we argue, while we fight,

they cash out another night.

Feels like watching from a screen—

life turned into broken dreams.

(Bridge)

Men in suits draw lines so fine,

never lived a day like mine.

Sell us hope, then sell us blame,

leave us stuck inside the frame.

I still look up when I pray,

even when it feels that way.

Wonder if the truth got sold,

wrapped in stories we were told.

(Final Chorus)

Cost of living’s too damn high,

I work these years just to survive.

Every dollar burns and fades,

nothing left from all I made.

Still I drive these tired roads,

still I carry what I know.

Holding on the best I can,

just trying to be a father and a man.

(Outro)

Pull these ol’ boots on

Leavin’ them behind again

Fighting these tears

Hoping that one day

They understand why I wasn’t around