[Verse 1]
For one borrowed evening
We ate like we were free
Let ordinary laughter
Do its best impression of peace
By morning, one was missing
By noon, they knew our names
Someone said, “The prisoners”
And every exit changed
[Pre-Chorus]
We didn’t ask what they wanted
We didn’t wait to hear
When you’ve lived too long hunted
Recognition sounds like fear
[Chorus]
We left the cage
The cage got in
Called it survival
Called it a win
Empty hands
Lowered head
Still looked dangerous
Still ended dead
We left the cage
But we never really left
[Verse 2]
A name can be a weapon
When spoken from behind
A question sounds like judgment
To a cornered state of mind
We made the first move
Then every move the last
By the time mercy reached us
We had forgotten how to ask
[Pre-Chorus]
One fire for the enemy
One fire for a friend
Panic never tells you
Where defence becomes revenge
[Chorus]
We left the cage
The cage got in
Called it survival
Called it a win
Empty hands
Lowered head
Still looked dangerous
Still ended dead
We left the cage
But we never really left
[Bridge]
Mercy laid its weapon down
We couldn’t lower ours
By the time the danger ended
We had nothing left but power
We called into the silence
For a road that led away
No answer—
Just the knowledge
We had killed the ones who knew the way
[Final Chorus]
We left the cage
The cage got in
Called it survival
Called it a win
Empty hands
Lowered head
Still looked dangerous
Still ended dead
No one left to answer
No one left to tell
Did we leave the prison
Or carry out the cell?
We left the cage
The cage got in
We left the cage
But we never really left
[Outro]
We made it out alive
But “out” and “free” are different things
We left the cage
The cage got in