[Intro – Tense Bassline, Shuffling Cards, Distant Snare]
Shuffle once, cut it twice
Every gamble has its price
Eyes are watching every move
Nothing left here left to prove
[Verse 1]
Stacked the deck, or so it seemed
Every angle tightly schemed
But the table starts to turn
Every lesson left to learn
Bluffing hard with empty hands
Trying just to understand
How the odds slipped out of reach
Right before they started to teach
[Pre-Chorus]
When the chips are down and nothing’s clear
You start to feel the edge of fear
[Chorus]
In a dire strait
(Strait flush)
In an irate state
(A frantic rush)
Who holds the cards
(Ain’t even got a pair)
Were you caught off-guard
(Is your brain even there?)
[Verse 2 – Groove Intensifies]
Every tell you tried to hide
Now is written open wide
Every risk you thought was small
Now is towering over all
Hands are shaking, stakes are high
Reading every alibi
But the game has changed its rules
Turning kings into the fools
[Pre-Chorus]
If the table flips before you play
Was it chance or did you pave the way?
[Chorus]
In a dire strait
(Strait flush)
In an irate state
(A frantic rush)
Who holds the cards
(Ain’t even got a pair)
Were you caught off-guard
(Is your brain even there?)
[Bridge – Breakdown, Sparse Piano + Heartbeat Kick]
No more bluff, no disguise
Just the truth behind your eyes
Every move you didn’t make
Now’s the risk you have to take
Fold or fight, call or flee
What’s it gonna be?
Every hand you thought you knew
Now is something breaking through
[Build – Snare Rolls, Rising Guitar]
Push it in or walk away
There’s no safe bet left to play
Every second cuts it close
Every gain reflects a loss
[Final Chorus – Full, Intense]
In a dire strait
(Strait flush)
In an irate state
(A frantic rush)
Who holds the cards
(Ain’t even got a pair)
Were you caught off-guard
(Is your brain even there?)
[Outro – Cards Drop, Bass Fades]
All in…
(Gamblin’ sin)
Or nothing there…
(Just hot air)
[Silence]
From the album “Exit Strategy“