[Verse 1]
We knew which doors to open, which floors would give way
Could hear a failing engine from a mile away
Then someone sold a sunrise with a date in red
Put three more trains in motion on the track ahead
A new name joins the roster, another deadline lands
We drop the tools we're holding just to guide their hands
They call it extra muscle, put a chart up on the wall
We're running twice as hard to keep it from a fall

[Chorus]
Looks good on paper, all the arrows point up
Champagne in the boardroom, cold coffee in our cups
They say we're getting bigger, yeah, the numbers look fine
But every fresh new pair of hands needs another pair of mine
Looks good on paper, watch the figures climb
More hands on the roster and a little less time
The room is getting louder, but the truth is crystal clear
You can fill an empty chair, you can't replace the years

[Verse 2]
The money wants a miracle, a launch before the fall
A dozen shiny promises, one team to do it all
We trade our nights for milestones, our doubts for polished slides
The ones who know the weak spots are quietly stepping aside
The new crew needs a compass; we gladly point the way
But guiding hands can't build what we promised yesterday
And every time we raise a flag, the answer's "just one more"
Until the ones who held it up are heading for the door

[Chorus]
Looks good on paper, all the arrows point up
Champagne in the boardroom, cold coffee in our cups
They say we're getting bigger, yeah, the numbers look fine
But every fresh new pair of hands needs another pair of mine
Looks good on paper, watch the figures climb
More hands on the roster and a little less time
The room is getting louder, but the truth is crystal clear
You can fill an empty chair, you can't replace the years

[Bridge - strip back to bass and voice]
You said it by the stairwell: "I don't think I'll stay"
The one who always found a fix is walking away
I thought I'd feel some anger, but all I felt was fear
Who catches what is falling when you're no longer here?
By Monday there's a meeting, the targets all the same
A box beside your old desk with somebody else's name
They'll call it forward motion, raise a glass and cheer
But no one knows the work you did to get us here

[Final Chorus - full band]
Looks good on paper, all the arrows point up
Champagne in the boardroom, cold coffee in our cups
They say we're getting bigger, yeah, the numbers look fine
But every fresh new pair of hands needs another pair of mine
Looks good on paper, watch the figures climb
More hands on the roster and a little less time
The room is getting louder, but the truth is crystal clear
You can fill an empty chair, you can't replace the years
