Walls I never had before

[Verse 1]
You called me brother through the better days
Said my blood was yours even if we weren't the same
I carried your burdens like they were my own
Never thought I'd end up standing here alone

Every holiday, every late-night drive
Every promise made about being family for life
Now you talk about me like I'm someone you fear
Like the man you describe was never standing here

[Pre-Chorus]
It's a strange kind of heartbreak to watch people rewrite your name
When the truth stays the same

[Chorus]
Now I'm building walls I never had before
Locking every window, deadbolting every door
'Cause the words "you're my brother" don't sound the way they did
After everything you said and everything you hid

You made me into a monster in a story that ain't true
And the hardest thing to swallow is I trusted all of you
Now I'm building walls I never had before
Where family used to live, there's an empty room and more

[Verse 2]
I spent years believing "that's what family does"
Show up when it hurts, stand beside the ones you love
So I laid down my guard and I opened up my heart
Never thought those same hands would tear it all apart

You judged me through whispers, conviction with no trial
Acting like my loyalty was just another lie
And I search through all the memories trying to understand
How the brother you loved became a stranger in your hands

[Pre-Chorus]
It's a lonely kind of silence when nobody wants the truth
They just want someone to lose

[Chorus]
Now I'm building walls I never had before
Locking every window, deadbolting every door
'Cause the words "you're my brother" don't sound the way they did
After everything you said and everything you hid

You made me into a monster in a story that ain't true
And the hardest thing to swallow is I trusted all of you
Now I'm building walls I never had before
Where family used to live, there's an empty room and more

[Bridge]
Maybe one day these scars won't ache this way
Maybe trust won't feel like walking into gunfire again
But until then I'll carry what you left behind
The lessons, not the blame

You can keep the version of me that helps you sleep at night
I'll keep the truth, even if I keep it by myself

[Final Chorus]
Now I'm building walls I never wanted to build
Around a heart that always tried to love and never kill
And every stone I place reminds me what was lost
Of the brotherhood I believed in and the price that it cost

You can call me whatever helps you justify goodbye
But I know who I am when I look myself in the eyes
Yeah, I'm building walls I never had before
Not because I hate you...
Just because I can't afford one more war

[Outro]
You called me brother for years
Until it became convenient not to
Now the walls stand where the family used to.