Strength's Requiem

Verse 1: They'll prop me up on pedestals As long as I don't crack or bend But should I stumble, should I fall They'd rather see this statue's end Pre-Chorus: Hold me up, but don't you dare See the cracks beneath my skin Beg for strength, but never share The weight that's crushing me within Chorus: Dead before weak, that's what they say A man's not allowed to break But they'll cry rivers, expect me to stay Through every tremor, every quake This pedestal's my prison now No room for human frailty They want a god, not flesh and bone But gods don't bleed like me Verse 2: They'll lean on me with all their might Expect me to absorb the blow But when I'm buckling in the night That's a sight they'll never know (Repeat Pre-Chorus and Chorus) Bridge: I'm screaming silent in the dark Drowning in expectations A man, they say, must be a rock But rocks don't need salvation Where's my shoulder when I weep? Where's my strength when I am weak? In a world that worships power Who catches Atlas when he falls? (Final Chorus) Outro: So I'll stand tall, I'll bear the load I'll be the man they think they need But know that underneath this pose There's a human heart that bleeds