[Verse 1] I stopped waiting for the soft landing Stopped scanning for a clear runway below The altimeter is telling me what I already figured This one I’m bringing down on my own
Both hands on the instruments now Checked the gauges - I know where this goes This isn’t panic, this is calculation Controlled descent with all the engines blown
[Pre-Chorus] I used to want someone to catch me Used to want to coast in easy and low But I’ve been in the cockpit long enough now To know how to take the hit and let go
[Chorus] Controlled burning - that’s the strategy Contain the center, let the rest transform Controlled burning - I’m not crashing blindly I’m the one deciding what I’m landing for I left because I had to Now I’m finding my way through Controlled burning - this is how I land This time I choose
[Verse 2] Every wildfire starts with someone thinking They can stop it where it stands But the ones who really get it Set it back to take command I’m setting my own perimeter Choosing what to keep and what to let go This isn’t giving up - it’s giving structure To the only kind of landing that I know
[Pre-Chorus] I used to want someone to catch me Used to want to coast in easy and low But I’ve been in the cockpit long enough now To know how to take the hit and let go
[Chorus] Controlled burning - that’s the strategy Contain the center, let the rest transform Controlled burning - I’m not crashing blindly I’m the one deciding what I’m landing for I left because I had to Now I’m finding my way through Controlled burning - this is how I land This time I choose
[Bridge] Soft landing was a version of me That still believed in easy and smooth Controlled burning is what I became When I learned that chosen damage is a move Real doesn’t mean destroyed And chosen means it’s mine I’m going down - but I’m going down On my own timeline
[Final Chorus - key lift] Controlled burning - that’s the strategy Contain the center, let the rest transform Controlled burning - I’m not crashing blindly I’m the one deciding what I’m landing for I left because I had to Now I’m finding my way through Controlled burning - this is how I land This time I choose
THIS TIME I CHOOSE
[Airport sounds[Airplane landing sound]