Intro
Smoke in the vents, four a.m., pen on the pad
(Yung Ledger)
One time, never twice, that's my math
Verse
Cold noodles, laptop glow, receipts on the floor
Landlord knockin', I just count what's behind the door
Twenty-two rejections stacked up like a deck of cards
Still I shuffle up the hustle, play the hand I'm dealt, no guards
Momma said the ceiling cracked but the roof still held
Same way my back still straight though the weight never fell
Corner store credit, gas station coffee, black
Every "no" I collected turned to fuel for the track
Bus stop bars, freestylin' with the static in my ear
Watched the block eat itself, stayed sharp, kept it clear
Uncle sold his watch to help me press the first CD
Now I'm pressin' forward, ain't no pressure gonna bend me
Scribbled hooks on napkins, traded sleep for the sound
Kept my head up even when the odds tried to drown
Not a fluke, not a phase, this a fact I've foreseen
One fold and I'm done, so I stay standing, lean
Chorus
I never fold twice, I learned that lesson young
Bend a little, bounce right back, that's the song I sung
Cracked the pavement, planted roots, watched the whole thing rise
I never fold twice, I keep my eyes on the prize
Verse
Studio lights flicker like they testin' my nerve
Engineer said "run it back," I said "that's what I deserve"
Every verse a receipt for the nights I ain't sleep
Every hook a heartbeat that refused to skip a beat
Rent was due the same week that the deal almost fell through
Signed anyway, told doubt "I got nothin' left to prove to you"
Momma's in the front row now, tears turned into pride
Same tears that hit the pillow when I had nowhere to hide
Bank account was empty but my notebook stayed full
Traded every excuse for a work ethic pull
Grinded through the winter when the heater couldn't run
Now the summer's warm, I'm still movin' like it's one
Critics threw the shade, I just planted where it fell
Grew a garden out the dirt they said I'd never sell
Bent under the weight but I never hit the ground
One fold, never twice, that's the code I found
Chorus
I never fold twice, I learned that lesson young
Bend a little, bounce right back, that's the song I sung
Cracked the pavement, planted roots, watched the whole thing rise
I never fold twice, I keep my eyes on the prize
Bridge
Used to pray for a sign, now I am the sign
Used to chase the light, now the light's inside mine
Every scar's a compass pointin' where I'm goin'
Every doubt's a door that I been slowly closin'
Outro
One fold, never twice, that's the code for life
Pen still movin', heart still true, through the strife
Yung Ledger, balance sheet, I paid the cost
Bent but never broken, never was I lost
