[Intro]
Banjo lick motif (ID) — two bars, then soft guitar picks
[Verse 1]
Porch light on a Southie stoop, coffee steam, a flannel shirt,
Tiny sneakers line the step, a blue-heart crayon love on the fridge.
Used ta pace these harbor nights, I pahked the cah and walked alone,
Now there’s syrup on the counter and a crooked crown made outta tin foil.
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh — I put that old life on a shelf, folded it like an old coat,
Said a name out loud at a meeting, felt my chest unclench and float.
(Pre-chorus lift — hold the last word: “float—ohhh”)
[Chorus]
Traded thug nights, found their sunrise
Two daughters, one son — I see it in their eyes
Traded thug nights, found their sunrise
Found their sunrise (found their sunrise)
[Verse 2]
Saturday cartoons and syrup smell, June’s laughter in the hall,
A photo on the mantel — me and them, a paper frame that saved my all.
No more bottles foggin’ up the room, just bedtime whispers, sleepy fights,
Tiny hands that pull my sleeve, “Daddy,” in the dim porch light.
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh — every small “I love you” is a stitch in something new,
I trade a fist for Sunday hugs, a dirty past for morning truth.
(Pre-chorus lift — hold the last word: “truth—ohhh”)
[Chorus]
Traded thug nights, found their sunrise
Two daughters, one son — I see it in their eyes
Traded thug nights, found their sunrise
Found their sunrise (found their sunrise)
[Bridge — Rap Verse]
Keys on the table, courthouse steps, March wind cut like a knife,
Handed in the metal, felt the weight lift off my life.
June yelled “Daddy!” from the doorway — that single sound changed the script,
Like a lighthouse in Dorchester when my heartbeat finally skipped.
I flipped the page, no more blackout lines in my book,
From late-night fights to morning fights over cereal and who took the look.
Internal rhymes, heart beats, street dreams traded for lullabies,
One couplet that I keep: I saw my kids and I chose life.
Memorable hook line — melody lift: “Traded thug nights, found their sunrise”
(End rap with call that slides back into chorus)
[Chorus — Big (add harmony + key lift)]
Traded thug nights, found their sunrise
Two daughters, one son — I see it in their eyes
Traded thug nights, found their sunrise
Found their sunrise (found their sunrise)
[Outro]
Banjo/guitar motif repeats (ID), soft harmonies stack on the earworm
Nightlight hums, the porch light fades but their breathing keeps me bright,
I fold one more blanket, kiss Maggie, June, and Jack goodnight.
Found their sunrise — found their sunrise — found their sunrise.
[Production Notes — (for record)]
- Vocal: verses intimate, pre-chorus lifts on sustained vowel, chorus big and hooky
- Hook: repeat "Found their sunrise" 2–3x with stacked harmonies (earworm)
- Bridge (rap): sparse guitar + kick, internal-rhyme punch, ends on melodic tag that flows straight into chorus
- Final chorus: key change up a half or whole step with a high harmony; banjo/guitar lick (ID) repeats as the song’s musical signature
