(Verse 1)
Muddy hands at market dawn, coins hiding in a torn seam
Rain on tin roofs, I learned to whisper to my dreams
Empty pockets, worn-out shoe, the streetlights knew my name
I traded lullabies for hustle, hunger for the flame
Mama hummed on the doorway, prayer rising with the smoke
I counted every heartbeat, every promise that I broke
Minor-key memories, footsteps on wet clay
I swore the night would teach me how to find the day
(Pre-Chorus)
Quiet now, the pulse is soft, but fire lives below
Every scar a secret drum, every loss a seed to grow
I keep my head down, listen to the city breathe
Tiny victories in the shadows, learning how to leave
(Chorus)
Rise, rise — rise from the bottom
Call my name, [NAME], let the drum remind ’em
Call my name — [NAME]! (call, call) Call my name! (call, call)
Dance through the ache, in the midnight glow
I’m the scar, I’m the spark, I won’t let go
Let the riddim lift me, let the people know
Call my name, [NAME], watch me steal the show
(Verse 2)
Market stalls at sunrise, I sold hope by the pound
Gave my hunger to the rhythm, kept my feet on the ground
Tin-roof thunder taught me how to pray with my hands
Street-school lessons, fingerprints in foreign lands
Neighbors saw a shadow, some saw only rain
But every bruise turned to courage, every failure turned to gain
From dusty corners to neon lights, I learned the syncopation
Heartbeat to the drumline, this is resurrection
(Pre-Chorus)
Quiet now, the pulse is soft, but fire lives below
Every scar a secret drum, every loss a seed to grow
I keep my head down, listen to the city breathe
Tiny victories in the shadows, learning how to leave
(Chorus)
Rise, rise — rise from the bottom
Call my name, [NAME], let the drum remind ’em
Call my name — [NAME]! (yah!) Call my name! (yah!)
Dance through the ache, in the midnight glow
I’m the scar, I’m the spark, I won’t let go
Let the riddim lift me, let the people know
Call my name, [NAME], watch me steal the show
(Bridge)
Echoes of the market, shekere and drum collide
A choir of tired mornings, now rising with the tide
Shake the chains of yesterday, let the bassline heal
Minor-key sorrow breaks — then the chorus steals
Call-and-response with the moon, call-and-response with fate
When the floor starts moving, every step annihilates
From muddy hands to crowned palms, from silence into sound
Afro-fusion heartbeat — watch my kingdom found
(Chorus — Extended)
Rise, rise — rise from the bottom (rise)
Call my name, [NAME], let the drum remind ’em (call my name)
Call my name — [NAME]! (call, call) Call my name! (call, call)
Dance through the ache, in the midnight glow
I’m the scar, I’m the spark, I won’t let go
Let the riddim lift me, let the people know
Call my name, [NAME], watch me steal the show
(Outro)
Call my name, oh — [NAME], let the music set me free
Rain on tin, dawn at my feet, this is my legacy
Rising high, dancing wild, from the bottom to the throne
Call my name, [NAME] — this story is my own
