Intro
Nine nights on the corner, wind sharp as a spear
Grandfather kept one eye closed like he traded it for sight here
Said wisdom don't come cheap, said the fire tells you true
The ledger always balances, no matter what you do
Verse 1
I was twelve when I first saw him trade a stare for silver
Pawnshop gate rolled up like a curtain on a killer
He put his palm flat to the flame, didn't flinch or shiver
Said the fire tells the truth, everything else a filler
Kept a plate of nails beside the register drawer
Counted debts in tally marks scratched into the floor
Every customer walked in owing something more
He collected in stories, not just cash from the door
Watched him lose an eye to a deal gone wrong in '98
Called the wound tuition, called the scar a certificate
Wore the patch like a medal, never asked to relate
Said the blind side sees clearer once you settle the weight
Inherited the ledger when the ash took his frame
Same gate, same plate, still answer to his name
Every loss in the book got a lesson attached
That's the interest on wisdom, that's the only match
Hook
The ledger don't lie, it just adds the cost
Every eye you give buys the sight you lost
I signed in scars, I paid in ash
Odin's ledger always balances the math
Verse 2
Now I run the same gate, same window, new year
Kids come through asking is the wis
