(Intro)
Dusty loop, piano plinkin' through the night
Crisp snare hits like city lights — breathe it in
This one’s for the corners, the mothers at the window
War stories, calle, concrete and prayer
(Verse 1)
I walk blocks where neon coughs and tires cry
Corner lamp flickers, Mama leans out, wipes an eye
Toastin’ memories of Rico — November '04
Blue jacket on the stoop, never saw him walk no more
Sirens like metronomes, measure time, measure pain
Names etched on stoops, sunlight never felt the same
Kids playin' hopscotch over chalk and rusted cans
We learn math with gunshots, faith held in calloused hands
Internal rhymes, double time — I stitch a line like seams
Wordplay in my pocket, ledger full of broken dreams
One-liner close: survive the night, cash the day — count the cost
Couplet ends sharp: we won a war but the city lost
(Chorus)
War stories, we rise, we survive
War stories, we rise, we survive
(Repeat with slight lift) War stories, we rise, we survive
(Verse 2)
Neon alley conversations, tape on busted glass
Old man on the stoop remembers futures that won’t pass
Tuesdays smelled like laundry, Thursdays smelled like smoke
Little sister sold her shoes so big brother could eat that yolk
Names like Tony, Marla, loud like hymn and hush
Dad left at '99, he left a ledger, left a bus
We hustle ledger lines, penciled prayers beneath the bed
Mama sews on Sundays, stitches hope into our threads
Multisyllabic couplets, cadence like a heartbeat drum
Every breath a bar fight, every second beats the drum
Turn the couplet: we count losses like coin, flip for hope
Last line shines cold: lit a candle, learned to cope
(Pre-Chorus)
Vinyl scratch and distant church bells ring
We pray for better mornings, for the peace the night might bring
(Chorus)
War stories, we rise, we survive
War stories, we rise, we survive
War stories, we rise, we survive
(Bridge)
Remember names carved in brick — L. Cruz, ’07, top floor
Mama whispered lessons through the screen door
I keep a photo in my wallet, corners folded twice
Seen the way the city breathes at dawn, seen the price
Couplet close: hope’s a currency, we spend it on tomorrow
Punchline end: counted tears and turned ‘em into sorrow’s ammo
(Verse 3 — Finale)
Midnight, park bench, samplers loop a vinyl prayer
Old cassette with Nas and Kiss, stories in the air
We trade barbs like bread, split a truth with a friend
Promise to keep the ledger open ‘til the bitter end
Concrete glitters if you polish pain with time
Turn the page, write the name of every lost design
We rap for those beside us, for the ones who couldn’t speak
Raise the volume on the quiet, let the heartbeats leak
One-line couplet: through the bullet holes we press our palms
Final couplet drop: made of scars and stubborn psalms
(Chorus — Final)
War stories, we rise, we survive
War stories, we rise, we survive
War stories, we rise, we survive — louder now
(Outro)
Keep the ledger, keep the light, keep the names in line
From neon alleys to the stucco roofs — a
