[Intro]
Rain taps the window while Riley sits alone, thinking slow
The clock ticks like a judge’s hand, steady and cold
[Verse 1]
Riley washed dishes at the cafe, gave the last coffee to a stranger
Swore he didn’t cut any corners, never meant to be dangerous
Told himself he played fair, though the shelves kept empty at closing time
The mayor’s daughter waited for a job, said the line was fine
[Pre-Chorus]
He remembers the night the mail never came, the neighbor’s glare at dawn
He wonders what he took by silence, what rumor grew from a yawn
[Chorus]
If there’s a fault in the echo, a fault in the proof, it’s not his boast
He’s just a man who rose each morning, asking what he might have lost
He’s been handed blame by many doors that never spoke his name
He’s chasing a shadow of mistakes he never aimed to claim
[Verse 2]
Riley delivered a package to the old mill worker, who thanked him with a sigh
Back then the mill hummed like trouble, and the worker’s pay ran dry
A neighbor’s dog vanished that evening, a rumor spread with a stare
Riley shrugged it off, said there’s no trail when you’re not aware
[Pre-Chorus]
Friends ghosted after the festival, texts unanswered, calls unopened
He questions every choice he made, every word he never spoken
[Chorus]
If there’s a fault in the echo, a fault in the proof, it’s not his boast
He’s just a man who rose each morning, asking what he might have lost
He’s been handed blame by many doors that never spoke his name
He’s chasing a shadow of mistakes he never aimed to claim
[Bridge]
Maybe the town misread the smile he wears, assumed a plan behind the light
Maybe a dozen hands were scared to say that things just didn’t sit right
He keeps a ledger of apologies that never found a voice
Keeps walking forward, listening for the whisper of a different choice
[Chorus]
If there’s a fault in the echo, a fault in the proof, it’s not his boast
He’s just a man who rose each morning, asking what he might have lost
He’s been handed blame by many doors that never spoke his name
He’s chasing a shadow of mistakes he never aimed to claim
[Outro]
Rain eases, the room grows quiet, Riley breathes and counts the scars
Believes he’s clean of shortcuts, while life reshapes the wounds and stars
He keeps walking, wondering who he’ll owe tomorrow for today’s mistaken blame
