[Verse 1]
They sign our fate with silver pens
In quiet rooms
Behind thick doors
Red circles on a plastic map
Turn living names to body counts
My brother shipped at 21
A paper flag came back instead
They called it “honor
” called it “peace”
I called it rage I couldn’t breathe
[Chorus]
You start the war
We pay the price
Blood on your blank pages
Tears in our eyes
You raise your glass
We raise our dead
You sleep like kings while we scream in our heads
You start the war
We wear the scars
We burn your flags
We bury your stars
[Verse 2]
They feed us speeches
Sharpened lies
Dress up the fear in borrowed pride
“Stand tall
Be brave
” the sirens sing
While mothers choke on wedding rings
I see the headlines
All the spin
Your careful words erase our skin
You talk of glory
“greater good”
How many graves make greatness true? (tell me)
[Chorus]
You start the war
We pay the price
Blood on your blank pages
Tears in our eyes
You raise your glass
We raise our dead
You sleep like kings while we scream in our heads
You start the war
We wear the scars
We burn your flags
We bury your stars
[Bridge]
I am the letter you never read
Stained and shaking
Soaked in red
I am the voice behind the gun
The shaking hand
The broken son
[Instrumental Break – Guitar Solos]
[First solo – mournful bends and slow
Singing phrases over sustained chords
Echoing grief]
[Second solo – faster
Twin-guitar harmonies
Climbing runs that spiral into chaos
Then lock into a unison riff]
[Chorus]
You start the war
We pay the price
Blood on your blank pages
Tears in our eyes (tears in our eyes)
You raise your glass
We raise our dead
You sleep like kings while we scream in our heads
You start the war
We wear the scars
We burn your flags
We bury your stars
[Outro]
No more sons for your ambition
No more hearts for your addiction
We are the fire you can’t contain
We are the names you can’t erase (hey!)