KeepScore 4

[VERSE 1]

Fate is a word we use too easy
when the road gets hard to recognize,
like we never saw the turn approaching,
like we somehow missed the warning signs.

But every step becomes another,
every choice can pull a little weight,
till you're walking with a thousand reasons
why the blood beneath your feet is fate.

[PRE-CHORUS]

I knew the glass was on the ground,
I felt it breaking through my skin.
Still, there's a strange kind of comfort
in blaming where you've been.

[CHORUS]

Pain has a way of keeping score,
it takes its time, then takes some more.
You feed it every choice you make,
a little blood for every mile,
a little bone for every break,
until you learn how much it takes.

And I learned.

Oh, I learned.

[VERSE 2]

I wore my teeth down holding steady,
tasted metal every time I spoke,
dragged my body through the aftermath
of every promise that I broke.

There were nights my hands kept shaking,
mornings dressed in purple, black and blue,
and every bruise became a question
I already fucking knew.

[PRE-CHORUS]

Because the knife was in my hand
long before it reached my skin.
You can call the damage destiny,
but choice is where it begins.

[CHORUS]

Pain has a way of keeping score,
it takes its time, then takes some more.
You feed it every choice you make,
a little blood for every mile,
a little bone for every break,
until you learn how much it takes.

And I learned.

Oh, I learned.

[BRIDGE]

Then something changed beneath my fingers,
warm enough to wake my skin.
A different kind of consequence
I wouldn't mind getting in.

Your breath was close enough to taste it,
your hand knew where to leave its weight,
and after all the roads that broke me,
this one felt damn good to take.

[FINAL CHORUS]

Pain had a way of keeping score,
but I don't owe it anymore.
If every choice becomes a road,
then let this one run through my veins,
leave your fingerprints behind
and give my body better stains.

I've learned what every choice can cost.

Tonight—

I like the price.

Dark cinematic R&B fused with trip-hop and nocturnal soul, sensual but never soft. Female lead: low, smoky, controlled, with rough edges when the lyrics bite. Build a hypnotic mid-tempo groove from deep syncopated sub-bass, punchy kick, dry snare, low toms, finger snaps and intricate hand percussion. Add detuned piano, trembling Rhodes, bowed cello, muted trumpet, reversed textures and sparse electric guitar for atmosphere, never rock riffs. Verses should stay melodic, fluid and tense, letting brutal imagery clash with elegant production. Make the chorus addictive and physical, with heavier bass, stacked female harmonies and percussion answering the hook. Let small sounds accumulate as pain keeps score. When pleasure enters, deepen the same groove with warmer Rhodes, sliding bass, breathier harmonies and intimate vocals. The final chorus should feel dangerous, luxurious and intoxicating, like choosing pleasure while knowing its price. End with bass, breath and one dry final hit slowly.