[Intro]
Yeah — Garrison blocks, 5th and Vine
This one’s for the nights you swallow dirt and still shine
Listen close
[Verse 1]
Met her under neon—5th and Vine, leather jacket, fake shine
She smiled like payday, pocket-empty promises at midnight
Stained hoodie, cracked bar glass, cold linoleum tile
First night her tongue was sugar, second night it turned hostile
One slap in the doorway, my jaw did a slow spin
She hissed "you weak," like it was a law I couldn't win
Dented chain, busted knuckles, lipstick on my collar
She said "nobody wants you," and the room turned smaller
I kept count of the apologies like change in a jar
Promises spent, cigarette smoke and a scar
Internal thunder—heart drum, palms numb to the beat
She'd spit a sentence, then stomp the heat off my feet
[Pre-Chorus]
City lights fracture, shadows learn my name
Every bruise a story, every insult a flame
But I kept walking, learning how to numb
Held my pride like a rosary, said I'd not succumb
[Chorus]
Bruised love — knuckles on my pride, words like knives
She swung the night, left the light outta my life
(Bruised love — knuckles on my pride, words like knives)
(She swung the night, left the light outta my life)
[Verse 2]
Morning after blackout—mirror with a spike crack
Cold coffee, napkin with the stain of the last attack
She called me "pathetic" while the radiator hissed
Left a bruise mapped like city blocks on my wrist
Neighbors heard holler, painted silence on the stair
I counted syllables of shame—she'd throw "nobody cares"
Walked the block with my hoodie, pockets full of smoke
Tried to build a fortress from the quiet after she spoke
Every slur was a bullet, ricochet in my mind
Tried to love the woman, but she rewired my spine
Grit on my tongue, spit rhyme like a prayer
I ain't built to crumble but I'll carry the wear
[Chorus]
Bruised love — knuckles on my pride, words like knives
She swung the night, left the light outta my life
(Bruised love — knuckles on my pride, words like knives)
(She swung the night, left the light outta my life)
[Bridge]
One night the fist missed—my reflection looked back harder
Packed a duffel—dented chain, the hoodie, cigarette butt in an empty yard
Cold metal keys in my palm, called Trey on the low
"Pack two shirts, meet me at Third, we movin' slow"
I left a note on the counter—three words, no plea
"I’m gone," inked on cheap paper, heartbeat finally free
Walked past the bedroom where the light used to bleed blue
Stepped out at dawn with the city watching, sky split into new
[Verse 3]
Days later I tally victory in small things—clean sleeves, clear eyes
No lipstick on my collar, no more midnight alibis
I rhyme scars into armor; pain taught me the law
That love ain't permission for someone to break you raw
Sometimes I dream of her swinging, words sharp like knives
But mornings hit different when you choose your life
I’m still gangster in my cadence, still hungry for respect
But I traded bruises for breath, pain for prospects
[Chorus - Final]
Bruised love — knuckles on my pride, words
