Outside the Window Frame

[Verse 1] Morning reading, I flip through the college catalog alone. I'm a candidate for something more, not this place. The liberal kids laugh outside, but their eyes look suspicious. This academy feels cold, and the hallway feels long. I want to alter my path, and I vary my steps. [Verse 2] Evening study, I dispose of mistakes in red ink. I appeal to the open textbook, but it stays cold. My academic teacher won't approve my inaction. I feel empty, like a battery in the dark. I might burst, and consume the last of my air. Outside, the transport hums along the road below. I watch the brake lights glow, then fade. I want an external view, not this narrow room. I need an extent where my tired heart can breathe. [Pre-Chorus] My little budget slips away, and I can't stop it. Suspicion fills my chest, quiet and cold. It's a nuisance, nothing more, just a passing cloud. So insignificant, it hardly leaves a mark. So vague, I stand at this line alone. I feel vain, standing at an absolute line. This boundary won't move, no matter how I try. I accelerate my breath, but the night won't fade. The extreme feels close, and I keep a mild face. I swallow it down, and keep walking home. [Chorus] Oh, I don't wanna vanish on this campus ground. Trade my tender hours for a barrier too proud. I will transform the torture, transmit a brighter trace. Acquire one small accomplishment, and tidy up this place. [Bridge] On the playground, I breathe and let my mind wander. The network hums beyond the gate, calling me out. I want an external view, not this narrow career. I need an extent where my ordinary days can disappear. I'll preserve my heart, though the night feels long. The tide is turning slow, and the dark is obscure. Something extraordinary waits past the schoolyard light. I won't let old abuse decide what I become. I'm obliged to keep going, and run toward my dream.