I Am Karen (holding the line)

Verse 1

I've watched the world get careless, watched the standards start to fall,

saw the signs that no one followed, torn and faded on the wall.

Nobody rings the alarm when the service starts to slip,

so I raised my voice for order, I would not let go my grip.

Pre-Chorus

Nobody counted the coupons stacking up behind the line,

nobody watched the register the way I watched it, watched it every time.

I saw the total climbing when the code refused to scan,

and no one moved to fix it, so I raised my hand.

Chorus

I am Karen and I will hold the line,

the last one still standing when nobody seems to mind!

They call it a scene, I call it my right,

I followed the rules, so why do they fight?

I am the standard— someone had to be!

History won't remember, but it happened to be me!

Verse 2

Aisle four, ten items only, and she had eleven there,

I counted twice to be certain, I counted out of care.

The parking lot had thirty spaces and he took up two of mine,

I left a note under his wiper in my very best design.

Pre-Chorus

Nobody counted the coupons stacking up behind the line,

nobody watched the register the way I watched it, watched it every time.

Chorus

I am Karen and I will hold the line,

the last one still standing when nobody seems to mind!

Pre-Bridge

Manager, please— I said it with my chin held high,

someone with authority to hear my battle cry.

I did not raise my voice, I raised a righteous cause,

someone has to answer for the breaking of the rules.

Bridge

Nobody claps when the battle is over,

nobody thanks me for doing what's right.

They call me the villain, they laugh as I leave them,

but who's going to save them if I hesitate?

I gave them my Tuesdays, I gave them my voice,

I gave them every warning, they had every choice—

so laugh if you want to, call me whatever,

just know that this righteous record was built by me.

Interlude

So who was I, before I started counting?

Just a woman who cared more than the rest.

Maybe that's all this ever was—

someone who cared, and never got to rest.

Chorus

I am Karen and I will hold the line,

the last one still standing when nobody seems to mind!

They call it a scene, I call it my right,

I followed the rules, so why do they fight?

I am the standard— everyone will see!

History won't remember, but it happened to be me!

I built this record, page by page, alone—

and every single coupon led me home!

Outro

The standard...

someone had to be.