If You Could Break That Chain

Not graven in a piece of stone
In silver, bronze, or gold
My idols greet me at my work
And they follow me back home
At my altar of profession
The skills I have acquired
The sacrifices grow in great succession
And my worship is required
So I can finally sit and marvel
At my slaughtered goals and lambs
On a shattered slab of marble
That somehow makes me, that makes me who I am
I’ve only known one way to face this curse
That’s to find my worth within my work
To make my sweat water this earth
Until they lay me back down in the dirt
They say a man is made of clay
And he was made to rest each seventh day
For the sake of my own name
I will make myself a home
So I can see you once I’ve paid my dues
And the daily debts I own
And I can take my rest under a roof
And have you beg me, beg me not to go
So what then would I be
If I stopped doing what I do
And nobody could see
The trouble I’d go through
To make something that’s worth
The hardship I endured
To live under this curse
And work to find its cure
There’s twenty-nine links around my legs
And each one bears my name
I won’t be worried long
If you could break, if you could break that chain