[Intro - Spoken] Redemption Road. First Ave blackout nights to cellblock echoes — this is for the nights I lost and the mornings I fought for. [Verse 1] First Ave at midnight, breath foggin' up the glass, A hood pulled low, the sidewalks know the men who pass. Bottles like metronomes, keeping time with my mistakes, Sleepless on a roof, countin' losses, countin' breaks. Handcuffs clicked beneath the fluorescents, cold and loud, Mugshot stare, a flashing light that splits the crowd. Cellblock doors clap names like stones down a hall, Iron on my wrist, iron on my heart — I hit the wall. But I kept a folded photo in my jacket — three small grins, The smell of syrup on a Sunday, cartoon wars and paper wins. That picture whispered steady, said "come home, stand again": I started tracing promises where my fingerprints had been. [Pre-Chorus ] No more wasted haze, no more First Ave calls, I row back from the cliff and I watch the curtain fall. Two daughters, one son — I learned to count the things that last, Mikey's back to basics — I bury the wasted past. [Chorus - Hook] Redemption Road — I keep the light. First Ave's behind, we sleep at night. (Repetition) Redemption Road — I keep the light. First Ave's behind, we sleep at night. [Verse 2] Rehab mornings, slatted light, chipped mug on the sill, Midnight rows of chairs, men talking truths that never kill. Counselor says "day by day," and I write my name in ink, Nights of counting breaths, relearning how to think. I braid my daughter's hair, a slow, steady right hand, Cartoons hum low, syrup smeared where laughter lands. No more fast cash in the glove box, no more late-night schemes, I hang my paper bracelet up — traded shackles for routines. Court papers for custody, parole stamp stamped like math, I learned to take the smallest steps and follow every path. Ten years clean — I count each sunrise like a win, From blackout fights to bedtime lights, I choose to breathe again. [Pre-Chorus - Variation] Three pairs of shoes lined up, a small flashlight on the floor, I learn my kids' quiet rhythms, learn what I'm fighting for. No more parties on First Ave, no more sleeping 'til noon, I keep my promise in the mornings — made it out of that room. [Chorus - Hook] Redemption Road — I keep the light. First Ave's behind, we sleep at night. (Run it back) Redemption Road — I keep the light. First Ave's behind, we sleep at night. [Bridge - Rap: Scene-Driven] Judge bangs a gavel — echo in a hollow chest, Mugshot in the folder, cold flash around my best. Parole stamp on paper, they put dates on my breath, Midnight rehab rows — whispering prayers, counting deaths. Phone vibrates: "You in?" — dealer voice with static hiss, Envelope under the visor, smells like easy bliss. I thumb through old contacts, names etched in ash, Tore the list in half, watched the numbers turn to glass. Tossed the keys into the sink, flames ate the past clean, Sat on a porch at six AM, held a sleepy scene. A nurse with tired eyes, a child's g