[Intro]
3AM, phone glow, bank app blinking like a taunt —
Yeah, listen.
[Verse 1]
Alarm at six, no snooze, coffee black, I lace my shoes,
Clocking double shifts, streetlights hum like leftover blues.
Late tray at the diner, grease on my palms, tips in a jar,
Subway tunes, a homeless man hums the same tired bar.
Rent notice taped to the door — february red on the page,
Mom calls, voice small: "You eat?" I say "I'm good," I fake the brave.
One digit on my screen — 1.42 — it stares and mocks,
I stitch dreams into overtime, patch holes with midnight clock.
[Pre-Chorus]
Bills stack like Jenga blocks, I'm steady with the hands,
Every lost night is a blueprint — I'm building plans.
No glam, just grind: sweat, elbow grease, small wins that expand,
Heartbeat synced to a metronome of the demand.
[Chorus]
Count my scars, count my bands — I'm building with my hands.
Bank app blinks a one, rent drumroll on my plans.
Sleep on layaway, hustle in my veins and stands,
Count my scars, count my bands — I'm building with my hands.
[Verse 2]
Night shift neon, fryer pop, I slide plates like fate,
Boss says "hold on," I swallow pride, I never hesitate.
I sold the old guitar — to fix the brakes on your car,
Pawnbroker smiled, "You good?" I said, "Just buy me a star."
Fridge hums an empty tune, coupons taped to the side,
I memorize my mother's laugh like currency I hide.
Corporate stairwell to kitchen call, the hustle's landscape spans,
I stack small victories like bricks that fit inside my hands.
[Pre-Chorus]
Knocked down but I'm counting seams, every scar's a brand,
Multisyllable hustle, rhythm tight, the rhyme's the plan.
I move in quarter steps, invest the little that I can,
Turn one dollar into tomorrow, build a promised land.
[Chorus]
Count my scars, count my bands — I'm building with my hands.
Phone blinks 'rent due' but I read it as a command.
Sleep on layaway, every dawn I understand,
Count my scars, count my bands — I'm building with my hands.
[Bridge — Reveal]
I missed your birthday last year to pick a second shift,
Sold granddad's watch for tuition — felt like theft,
That ticking on his wrist used to measure all our plans,
Now it's cash in my pocket, a memory in my hands.
I traded comfort for a blueprint that I drew in pain,
Skipped Sunday dinners, chose the ledger over the lane.
But when you ask me why I grind 'til my eyes are thin and glass,
I say "So the next kid from our block can step and pass."
[Verse 3 — Sharp Detail]
Late paper cut on my thumb, ink-stained, count the rent,
Corner store receipts, tax forms, my hours all spent.
Mom texts a prayer emoji, I send a heart and half my meal,
Late-night tutor, early line, my schedule's made of steel.
The bank used to whisper empty threats like winter hands,
Now it coughs up small favors when I turn those plans to brands.
I hustle like a poet with a ledger and a stand,
Write verses with my credit score, build futures with my hands.
[Chorus — Final / Variation]
Count my scars, count my bands — I built a