[Title: Shadows in the Thaw Tempo: Slow, soulful acoustic or traditional Qeej accompaniment Mood: Somber but resilient] [crowd cheers} [Talk into microphone} Shadows in the thaw [crowd cheer] [Intro, soft piano, light strings] (Verse 1) From the peaks of the clouds, where the mist used to rise We carried the stories, the look in our eyes Through the jungles of silence and the Mekong’s deep flow We chased a promise where the green grass would grow. We stitched every heartbeat in a cloth made of gold The stories of warriors, the young and the old But now there’s a winter that won’t go away A chill in the morning at the break of the day. (Chorus) Oh, the Ice is knocking, cold hands at the door We’ve run through the fire, we can’t run anymore Let the sun break the mountain, let the families stay Don’t tear the thread from the fabric today. We’re looking for freedom from the ghost in the street From the sound of the tires and the cold, bitter heat Give us the peace that we bought with our breath Freedom from shadows, freedom from theft. (Verse 2) I see it in Father, the way that he looks Not at the gardens, or the pages of books But out through the blinds at a car passing slow Wondering if today is the day he must go. We fought in the shadows of a war long forgot Gave everything up for the safety we sought Now the children are weeping in the land of the brave While the "Ice" turns the cradle into a cold, lonely cave. (Bridge) We are the people of the sky and the wind Where does the mercy of a nation begin? You called us your allies, you called us your friends Don't let the story be where the road ends. Our roots are in deep, through the soil and the stone This is the only home that we’ve known. (Chorus) Oh, the Ice is knocking, cold hands at the door We’ve run through the fire, we can’t run anymore Let the sun break the mountain, let the families stay Don’t tear the thread from the fabric today. We’re looking for freedom from the ghost in the street From the sound of the tires and the cold, bitter heat Give us the peace that we bought with our breath Freedom from shadows, freedom from theft. (Outro) Let the Qeej play a song for the heart to come home No more looking behind us, no more forced to roam. Let the ice melt away... Let us stay. Let us stay. (Fade out with the soft sound of a flute)
