The Man I Knew

The phone screams, three AM again

That static hiss before your voice kicks in

It's paper thin, it's cracked and low

A borrowed room, a debt you know you owe

I smell the rum and sugar on the air

A sweet and sick and hollow prayer

You were the king of this whole damn place

Now there's just powder on your face

Calling me to pay your tab

For all the promises you never had

I see the king, but not the crown

I don't know who you even are

The man I knew, he stood up straight

He wouldn't beg, he wouldn't break

But that man's gone, and in his stead

Are strangers with you in your bed

You take the pills to chase the quiet out

To kill the ghosts you scream about

You were the king of this whole damn place

Now there's just powder on your face

Calling me to pay your tab

For all the promises you never had

I see the king, but not the crown

I don't know who you even are

Was this the price for all your dreams?

Ripped apart right at the seams

You taught me how not to be a man

Was this always part of the plan?

In your reflection, what do I see?

Is there a piece of you in me?

You were the king of this whole damn place

Now there's just powder on your face

Don't call me to pay your tab

For all the life you'll never have

I see the king, but not the crown

I don't know who you even are

Who you are