Badge Off

[Verse 1]
Name tag hanging by a thread
Coffee stain on my sleeve
Forty booths and tired smiles
I learned to nod and weave
The carpet's full of footprints
My shoes feel twice their weight
I’ve been saying, “Great to meet you”
Since way before it got late

[Pre-Chorus]
Slowly now
The room starts emptying out
I can hear the folding chairs
And the last sales pitch fade down

[Chorus]
Badge off, boots on
I’m ready to go home
Badge off, boots on
I’ve been on my feet too long
Badge off, boots on
Let the evening take me in
Badge off, boots on
I’m done pretending I can grin

[Verse 2]
A stack of flyers in my bag
A pen that leaked at noon
Someone pressed a hotel cookie
Into my hand like a tune
I shook a thousand hands today
Now my fingers ache and burn
But I kept my little smile on
For every turn, every turn

[Pre-Chorus]
Slowly now
The room starts emptying out
My voice gets soft around the edges
When I finally let it out

[Chorus]
Badge off, boots on
I’m ready to go home
Badge off, boots on
I’ve been on my feet too long
Badge off, boots on
Let the evening take me in
Badge off, boots on
I’m done pretending I can grin

[Bridge]
One more lap through the hall
One last light by the door
I can hear my own key jingle
And I want that sound some more
No more handshakes, no more names
Just the quiet in my room
A chair, a lamp, my tired face
And the shape of coming soon

[Chorus]
Badge off, boots on
I’m ready to go home
Badge off, boots on
I’ve been on my feet too long
Badge off, boots on
Let the evening take me in
Badge off, boots on
I’m done pretending I can grin