The Wars I Fight When I'M Alone

Ain't no medals for this kind of pain
Just sleepless nights and a weathered name
Smile in the mirror but it cracks by noon
Wearin' strength like a mask, I'll brew too soon

These demons don't knock, they just move in
Take a seat on my chest when the day ends
Got a crew at work, but when I'm back home
I fight like hell in the silence alone

These are the wars I fight when I'm alone
No guns, just ghosts, I don't show
Hard-hat by day but inside I break
Behind the steel, I still lay
Can't cry in front of the boys at the job
So I bleed through the pain and the songs I drop
You won't see the bruises I carry home
These are the wars I fight when I'm alone

Whiskey don't talk but it sure does listen
Old regrets playin' like a broke transmission
Mama said, "Son, don't let the world win"
But I feel that weight diggin' my skin

I don't quit, just fold in silence
Got a hell of a grip on the center of violence
Can't explain what I don't understand
But I still walk tall like a broken man

These are the wars I fight when I'm alone
No sirens, just echoes I've known
I smile for the crowd, then I vanish inside
Got a storm in my soul that I barely survive
I'm the strong one, at least that's the tone
But these are the wars I fight when I'm alone

Some folks pray, some folks run
I light one up and face the sun
Hope the smoke hides what's real inside
These ain't just thoughts, they're landslides

These are the wars I fight when I'm alone
No cheers, just tears in a silent home
They say time heals, maybe for some
But for me, the fight's never done
No parade, no flag on my front lawn
Just another damn night holdin' on
These are the wars I fight when I'm alone