S.T.A.G.E

I remember empty rooms
And a microphone with no sound
Late nights chasing every dream
While nobody was around
I had nothing but a vision
And a fire in my chest
Every no became a reason
Every fall became a step

Now the lights are getting brighter
And I hear a million screams
But I still remember sleeping
With a suitcase full of dreams

Now I'm standing on the biggest stages
Looking at the world below
From the shadows to the spotlights
I remember how it felt to grow
Money, fame, the champagne shining
Every city knows my name
But I would do it all again
Just to feel that first flame

I remember borrowed clothes
And the bills I couldn't pay
Writing songs until the sunrise
Just to make it through the day
Now the cameras never leave me
And the headlines say my name
But the hunger that I carried
Still burns inside the flame

Every scar became a story
Every door became a key
Now the world is singing with me
But I know what it took to be

Now I'm standing on the biggest stages
Looking at the world below
From the shadows to the spotlights
I remember how it felt to grow
Money, fame, the champagne shining
Every city knows my name
But I would do it all again
Just to feel that first flame

I didn't wake up famous
I built it piece by piece
Through the sleepless nights and silence
Through the moments of defeat
Now the whole world is watching
But I know the truth inside
You can buy the biggest diamond
But you can't buy the fight

Now I'm pulling up clean, blacked-out Bentley
Rolex on the wrist, every second looks expensive
Louis on the luggage, Gucci on the fit
Cartier shining while I'm walking through the Ritz

Ferrari in the driveway, engine screaming like a beast
Patek on my wrist, time is money, never cheap
Private jet waiting, no boarding line for me
From a bedroom full of dreams to a seat above the sea

I got Prada in the closet, Dior on the floor
Versace on my body when I'm walking through the door
Maybach moving silent, but the whole block knows
I remember being broke, now I'm counting all the zeros
But don't confuse the diamonds with the reason that I came
I didn't chase the money, I was chasing my name
Every stage, every city, every scar, every flight
I earned every spotlight that is burning tonight

Now I'm standing on the biggest stages
Looking at the world below
From the shadows to the spotlights
I remember how it felt to grow
Money, fame, the champagne shining
Every city knows my name
And I'd do it all again
Just to feel that first flame

From the silence to the screaming
From the darkness to the light
I remember who I was
Every single night