[Verse]
And the takers keep taking,
and the givers keep giving,
we’re told to show up when needed
just to prove we are living.
We give of our time,
we give of our pay,
we give what we can
and it slips away.
You can give ‘til it’s gone,
give ‘til it’s breaking,
still in the dark
the takers keep taking.
[Chorus:]
We give and we give,
through sorrow and strain,
but the takers keep taking
again and again.
[Verse 2[
There’s a trade in the trust
that we hand out in good faith,
and a system built up
from what people can take.
There are doors left unlocked
just to feel like we’re sharing,
while someone is counting
on no one still caring.
You can stand in the line
with your heart open wide,
and still find a hand
on the other side.
[Chorus:]
We give and we give,
through sorrow and strain,
but the takers keep taking
again and again.
[Verse 3]
What happened to promise,
to neighbor and name?
To the idea we were more
than just pieces in a game?
Now the streets feel quieter
but not from peace making—
it’s the sound of the hopeful
slowly mistaking
that silence for safety,
that calm for the right,
while the taking keeps working
out of sight in the night.
[Bridge (softer, reflective):]
Still somebody’s out there
with nothing to spare,
still somebody’s giving
because someone still cares.
And maybe that’s all
that keeps us from breaking—
this stubborn old habit
of not just taking.
[Chorus (final):]
We give and we give,
through sorrow and strain,
but the takers keep taking
again and again.