Running On Empty

Started out bright-eyed, full of drive
Fresh start, new badge, felt so alive
Clocked in early, stayed past late
I told myself this job was fate
Smiled through calls, took every task
Believed the hype, didn't think to ask
Where the cracks were in the painted wall
'Til the rush wore off and I felt the fall
Now the spark is barely a glow
And I'm moving just to go
I'm running on empty, no fuel left to burn
Every day's a loop, and there's no U-turn
What once felt like purpose now feels like a cage
And I'm breaking down, can't catch a break
Dreams I had are stuck in freeze
This ain't the life I thought it'd be
I'm running on empty
Can someone set me free?
They said change brings growth, but I feel small
New faces come, old voices fall
Meetings pile like unpaid dues
And I'm smiling just to hide the truth
The boss breathes down like I don't know
Grabs control but won't let go
Power trip in a glass-framed room
While I suffocate in deadlines and gloom
The passion's gone, replaced by stress
The suits say "progress," I feel less
Deadlines blur into sleepless nights
Chasing goals that don't feel right
The fire's gone, but I'm still here
Drowning slowly, shift to shift, year to year
I'm running on empty, no fuel left to burn
Every day's a loop, and there's no U-turn
What once felt like purpose now feels like a cage
And I'm breaking down, can't catch a break
Dreams I had are stuck in freeze
This ain't the life I thought it'd be
I'm running on empty
Can someone set me free?
Thought I'd build a future I could love
Now I'm stuck beneath, not rising above
I need a door, a sign, a spark
To guide me out of all this dark
I'm running on empty, but I'm still alive
Still holding on with barely a drive
Maybe one day I'll break the chain
But for now, I'm just enduring the strain
Dreams don't die — they just sleep deep
But mine are stirring under the heat
I'm running on empty
But I'm not running from me