(Verse 1) I was sleepin' soundly, wrapped inside the covers While you were punchin' clocks, workin' shifts unlike the others I was dreamin' 'bout a future that was bright and full of color While you were watchin' bills pile up and askin', "How we gonna recover?" I never saw the panic, I only saw the food I never saw the manic stress that ruined all your moods I just saw a dad who was tired, a mom who was stressed I didn't know you gave up yours so I could be my best. Look, I remember dad leavin' way before the sun was up Coffee in the thermos, barely anything inside the cup Back breakin', hand shakin', workin' 'til the body’s numb Comin' home to silence just to calculate the sum Of the debt, of the rent, of the lights, of the gas Mom pullin' doubles, hopin' that the time would pass Comin' home late, kissin' me upon the head Checkin' if I’m breathin' while I’m safe inside the bed. You were tradin' in your REM cycles for my text books Tradin' in your sanity for how the resume looks I was blind to it then, yeah, I was just a kid But now I’m grown and I’m seein' exactly what you did.

(Chorus) (Melodic, intense, layered vocals) You lost sleep, so I could wake up dreamin' Kept it quiet inside, when you felt like screamin' Workin' fingers to the bone, buildin' me a throne Out of scraps and the callous on your hands alone. Yeah, you paid the price, you paid the cost I found my way 'cause you got lost In the grind, in the work, in the daily fight You walked through the dark so I could stand in the light. Yeah. So I could stand in the light.

(Verse 2) (Beat picks up pace, aggressive flow) Look, I know I wasn't easy, I know I had demands I know I asked for money that you didn't have inside your hands But you made it happen, magic, pullin' rabbits out of hats Workin' two jobs, three jobs, enterin' the stats. You were runnin' on empty, fueled by the caffeine Tryin' to keep the heavy stuff behind the scenes You didn't want me worryin' about the mortgage or the lease You sacrificed your health just to give me peace. And I know you’re tired now, I see it in your walk I hear the years of labor in the way you talk Back aches, knees weak, yeah, the body took a toll But you never let the industry corrupt your soul. You taught me how to grind, how to work, how to get it If I ever said I didn't notice, I regret it. I’m standin' here today with a life that I designed But the foundation is the sleep that you declined. Every opportunity, every single door Was opened up by you scrubbin' someone else's floor Or fixin' someone else’s car, or typin' on a screen You were the machine, yeah, you were the machine!

(Chorus) (Soaring, emotional) You lost sleep, so I could wake up dreamin' Kept it quiet inside, when you felt like screamin' Workin' fingers to the bone, buildin' me a throne Out of scraps and the callous on your hands alone. Yeah, you paid the price, you paid the cost I found my way 'cause you got lost In the grind, in the work, in the daily fight You walked through the dark so I could stand in the light.

(Bridge) (Music drops to just piano and a heartbeat) I hope it was worth it. I hope when you look at me, you feel like you purchased A future that matters. I hope that the shattered Pieces of your rest didn't leave you too battered. I’m tryin' to make you proud, tryin' to make it count Return on investment, boostin' the amount. I owe you everything, the air in my lungs The songs that are sung. Mom and Dad... Thank you.

(Outro) (Strings swell one last time, then fade) For the late nights. For the early mornings. For the double shifts. I see you. I see you. Yeah.