Summary
Chips in the Box is Trista Rhodes’ reflective take on life’s temporary stakes. Using the quiet hum of a casino table as her metaphor, she sings about the hands we’re dealt, the risks we take, and the inevitability of giving it all back in the end. It’s not a lament so much as a knowing nod — a reminder that every win, loss, and borrowed moment is part of the same game, and none of us leave with more than we came with.
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Lyrics
Chips in the Box
by Trista Rhodes
[Verse 1]
You’re dealt a hand before you know
Some chips more heavy, some chips so low
You place your bets across the table’s glow
The ball begins its fated roam
[Pre‑Chorus]
Some fall fast, some stay in play
Some risk it all, some watch the game
[Chorus]
We’re just chips in the box, borrowed for a while
Betting highs and lows with every lonely mile
At closing time the dealer comes to say
“Put it all back now—you were never yours today”
[Verse 2]
Some sip softly on life’s sidelines
Feel the rush without the stake in mind
They watch the winners, they track the fall
But the house always claims it all
[Pre‑Chorus]
Tiny stakes or a final call
Every bet has its threshold
[Chorus]
We wake and play the hand we’re dealt
Knowing someday we’ll leave this felt
When midnight chimes, there’s no applause
Just chips returned and faded cause
[Bridge]
Was it fortune? Was it fate?
Did we chase the wrong debate?
Empty pockets, hollow talk—
We’re just chips in the box
[Final Chorus – gentle & wise]
We’re just chips in the box, temporary light
A borrowed spark within the night
And when the table’s cleared of dust
We return our chips, as all things must
This song was inspired by a post from Ken's Life blog. You can read the original here:
→ Read the blog post: "Chips in the box"Links
Follow the links for more content.