Paying Your Dues

VERSE 1

All your horror stories will come with a price

All your greatest fears will come back to life

You got your ass cancelled for no good reason

All of your fans have been accused of treason

This is what it means when you pay your dues

Screaming heavy metal, yet singing the blues

Your interest rate is up to a hundred percent

Many more lonely nights is what you’ll spend

CHORUS 1

Paying your dues is what your critics choose

Paying your dues means you sometimes lose

Paying your dues will tax your ass raw

Steel your spine and tighten your jaw

VERSE 2

Nobody said that this would be easy

Nobody said that this would be pleasing

It’s all a part of life if you like it or not

Always somebody to steal your spot

CHORUS 1

Paying your dues is what your critics choose

Paying your dues means you sometimes lose

Paying your dues will tax your ass raw

Steel your spine and tighten your jaw

VERSE 3

Everybody gets what they paid for in the end

Even if it costs them every one of their friends

Even if it costs them their own damn health

Guarantees them a place in their own hell

Despite all the pain, you could fail again

Back to square one, far away from the end

Everyone knows this ain’t a meritocracy

But they cover it up with their own hypocrisy

CHORUS 2

Paying your dues ain’t no ocean cruise

Paying your dues comes with an ego bruise

Paying your dues will break you in half

When you scale to the top, it’s okay to laugh

This is Mount Everest reaching to the stars

This will show the world how tough you are

I hope you get everything you’ve wanted

You and the elite have much in common