Smith-Rollins's lead vocal balanced the song's two opposing energies — the swagger of the music and the cautionary tone of the lyric — with a confident, slightly weathered delivery. He leaned into the rhythmic pocket, giving each line a sense of forward momentum, and he understood when to sit back and let the iconic riff do the work. His phrasing on the chorus had real grit, with just enough vocal edge to honor the song's rock origins without forcing it.