Verse 1 Thirteen, boots hit wood like a thunder roll Crown of strings, bent metal halo Central stage in a sideways city Fire in the sky, poets talkin’ pretty Guitar case down, click of the latches Crowd like matches waitin’ for scratches But the first note dies like a swallowed shout Something in the hum feels inside-out Pre-Chorus 1 Twist the knobs, check the lines Everything’s fine, but it ain’t fine If the rhythm feels forced, someone’s lying somewhere And my fingers won’t play what my ears won’t bear Chorus Play loud, play fair Boots on the boards, I’m claiming this air If you cheat in the shadows, I can hear it in the snare I keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Strings buzz, heart bare Princess of Rocktopia, I run this square If your pressure kills the rhythm, I will feel it in the glare I keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Verse 2 Painter in the crowd smells like diesel rain Colors on his hands, wild on his brain Digs through a bag like he saw this scene Pulls out strings, metal bright, gasoline green Says, “You need this,” quiet as a bass drum ghost Just one more thread to hold this post I swap it in, tune ‘til it sings Neck in my hand like a set of wings Pre-Chorus 2 One deep breath, count it four Feel the plaza under the floor Something in the chaos shifts, like the room says “yeah” Invisible hands makin’ invisible care Chorus Play loud, play fair Boots on the boards, I’m slicing this air If you rig all the numbers, I can hear it in the snare I keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Crowd eyes, sparks stare Princess of Rocktopia, I own this square If your game hurts the kids, I’ll drag it out right there I keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Post-Chorus (call & response) (I stomp) — the stage stomps back (You push) — I feel the crack (We shout) — the truth in tune No cheats in this boom-boom room Verse 3 Up on the roof, there’s a shadow glow Three small circles pulsin’ slow Doesn’t bark, doesn’t steal my show Just carves out space so the music can grow Kids at the front feel the quiet hum Like the world made room for what we’ll become Banners stop snaggin’, fire arcs clean For the first time all day, this place feels seen Pre-Chorus 3 Suddenly the wrong notes fall Shake ‘em off like chipped nail-polish on a bathroom wall Every hidden pressure, every crooked stare Drops away when the mix turns fair Chorus Play loud, play fair Boots on the boards, I’m bending this air If you crush us for profit, I can hear it in the snare I keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Kid choir, sparks flare Princess of Rocktopia, we own this square When you stop all the cheating, hear the rhythm repair We keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Bridge No crown of gold, just wire and rust No royal decree, just radical trust If your “smart little trick” makes a dancer afraid It’s not clever, it’s just fear in a fancy shade We’re not your metrics, we’re not your test We’re heartbeat, feedback, chaos blessed If the groove goes crooked when you start to scheme We’ll unplug your power from our dream Breakdown (spoken / half-sung) Boots on wood — that’s my throne Six strings loud — that’s my phone If you can’t be straight when the kids are there You don’t get to breathe my Rocktopian air Final Chorus Play loud, play fair Boots on the boards, I’m cutting this air If you twist the invisible, I can hear it in the snare I keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Hands up, don’t scare Princess of Rocktopia, we guard this square When the truth hits the kick drum, feel the whole world repair We keep the beat honest Play loud, play fair Outro Last chord rings, banners sway Chaos finally learns to play I don’t need a crown to say, “Beware” Just six loud strings: Play loud, play fair.
