OWN IT [Verse 1] Two thousand six, Tina took her seat, North Portland sent her down the street. By thirteen, Speaker, gavel in hand, nine long years helping shape this land. Then twenty-two, another race, Governor next, a bigger place. A long career, a record made— every choice leaves tracks that stay. [Pre-Chorus] You can tell us why, you can tell us what you meant, but history isn't only what the politicians print. [Chorus] So own it. Own what you said, own what you did. Don't hide the hard nights under softer words again. Call it protest, call it unrest, call it whatever sounds the best— but some of us were living there when Portland couldn't rest. Own it. You don't have to take the blame for every broken window or every dancing flame. But leadership means looking back and saying what was true— the peaceful marched, the riots happened too. [Verse 2] September came, a hundred nights, fire in the streets and police lights. Your legislative aide was there, arrested in the chaos and glare. Interference was the charge that night, not throwing bombs, so get that right. But while the city watched it burn, your answer took a different turn. You spoke of freedom, spoke of rights, of nonviolent resistance that night. And months before, when police moved in, you questioned where the riot began. An empty building—why defend? Why escalate? Where does it end? But residents behind those walls were asking something else through it all: [Break — spoken softly] Please. Just let us sleep. [Chorus] So own it. Own what you said, own what you did. Don't hide the hard nights under softer words again. Call it protest, call it unrest, call it whatever sounds the best— but some of us were living there when Portland couldn't rest. Own it. You don't have to take the blame for every broken window or every dancing flame. But leadership means looking back and saying what was true— the peaceful marched, the riots happened too. [Verse 3] Then came another summer's scene, outside of ICE in twenty-five. Neighbors complained, tempers climbed, night after night, time after time. Trump said troops; you told him no. You went to court and stopped the show. You said no Guard was needed here, Oregon could handle what appeared. And on the law, the court agreed— no legal grounds for troops deployed. I may not like the stand you took, but facts are facts; that's in the book. Still one question lingers on: what about the people living there till dawn? Winning in court can settle the law— it doesn't erase what neighbors saw or what was seen in twenty-twenty. [Bridge] That's what I want from those who lead: not perfection, not agreeing with me. Say, Yes, that happened. Say, Yes, people hurt. Say, Some nights went farther than the language that we used. You can defend the protester's voice, you can defend your legal choice. But don't make residents disappear because their story's hard to hear. [Final Chorus] Just own it. Own what you said, own what you did. Six years later, some of us still remember every bit. There were peaceful marches—yes. There were riots too—yes. Both things can live inside the truth; neither cancels out the rest. So own it. No rewritten history. No choosing only pieces that are comfortable to see. A governor doesn't have to say that every choice was wrong— just look the people in the eye who lived it all along. [Outro] From Speaker's chair to Governor's door, Portland remembers what came before. No need to spin it, no need to defend it— Just tell the whole truth. And own it.
