Pressure Valve

[Verse 1] There’s a weight in the air when my phone lights up Static hums through the room Every silence feels crowded now Like I’m running out of room to move I rehearse what I’ll never say Let it rot in the back of my throat Every step forward feels borrowed Every pause pulls harder than it should [Pre-Chorus] I keep my voice clean Keep my hands still Count to ten, bite my tongue till it bleeds I’m not cold I’m just cracked And I don’t trust what lives under me [Chorus] I’m a pressure valve Welded shut Every breath is a threat I bite back Hands on me, words pile up I’m one bad night from a blackout I don’t want to hurt you I don’t want to snap But don’t push, don’t pull— I’m barely intact [Verse 2] Sirens echo behind my eyes Even when the street’s asleep I hold the line till my knuckles shake Like the cracks don’t show through me I sign my name in a stranger’s ink Watch it bleed between the lines Two sides pulling at the same damn thread Both swearing they’re keeping me alive [Pre-Chorus 2] I carry the badge I carry the blame I carry a hunger I don’t say You argue the law I smell the lie We’re teeth to the same damn vein [Chorus] I’m a pressure valve Welded shut Every breath is a threat I bite back You talk justice, I taste blood Tell me which one of us will crack I don’t want to hurt you I don’t want the fight But you keep circling Like you want the bite [Bridge] (tempo drop, half-time) There’s a beast in my ribs pacing lines Waiting for permission or a slip I’ve learned restraint like a second language But it’s getting harder to speak You want leverage You want control You want to test how far I bend Keep pushing Keep smiling See who’s left when I end [Breakdown] (shouted / gang vocals) DON’T PUSH ME DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE I’M HOLDING EVERY THING WITH BLOOD AND BRUISES [Final Chorus] I’m a pressure valve About to scream All this quiet is violent now I don’t sleep, I don’t dream I just grind my teeth through the crowd I don’t want to hurt you But I’m losing ground If I frenzy It won’t make a sound