Quiet Pride, Clean Apron

Lyrics

My mother never bragged, she just ironed her shirt
Double shift on her feet, never mentioned the hurt
Name tag straight, shoes shined, no applause
Still the hardest working woman, no cause for pause
She taught me pride don't need a microphone
Pride is the key in the door of your own
You can keep the loud, I'll keep the true
Quiet pride is the thing that carried us through

Quiet pride, clean apron
Early to the work, never complain, son
Nobody clapping, but the work gets done
Quiet pride, that's how the east side runs
No trophy on the shelf, no sign on the street
Just a good day's work and a heartbeat

I sold my first verse to a room of ten
Went home, wrote another, did it all again
Didn't post it up, didn't need the view
Just a bar made better than the night before it, true
Uncle fixed the same bus for thirty years
Never told a soul about the sweat and the gears
But I see it in the way that his shoulders stand
Pride don't shout, it just shakes your hand

Quiet pride, clean apron
Early to the work, never complain, son
Nobody clapping, but the work gets done
Quiet pride, that's how the east side runs
No trophy on the shelf, no sign on the street
Just a good day's work and a heartbeat

Now I'm in the booth with the tape rolling slow
Thinking of the people who don't get the show
Cooks and cleaners and the ones on the night line
You're the reason that these verses shine
So if you did your best and nobody knew
I'm the one who saw it, and I'm proud of you

Fold the uniform, set the alarm
Wake up humble, do no harm
That's the whole of the creed I know
Work in silence, let the results show

Quiet pride, clean apron
Early to the work, never complain, son
Nobody clapping, but the work gets done
Quiet pride, that's how the east side runs
No trophy on the shelf, no sign on the street
Just a good day's work and a heartbeat

Quiet pride, that's how the east side runs