[Intro - spoken word, warm wry male voice, soft nature sounds, no drums] Every garden star*Lyrics**: [Intro - fast bright banjo riff, mandolin, handclaps on upbeat, high energy from the start] [Verse 1 - bright quick male vocal, playful and fast, banjo and acoustic guitar driving, bouncy] I dug the hole, I dropped the seed I pulled the weeds, I did the deed And when the carrots finally came They had my name, they had my name! What you build with your own two hands Belongs to you, that's where it stands Your treehouse and your lemonade The fort you built, the plans you made [Chorus - infectious bouncy singalong, full band, joyful, handclaps, open field energy] Run free, run free Through the open field with me Bring what you grew, I'll bring what I made We'll meet at the crossroads and we'll trade Run free, run free That's the way it's meant to be [Verse 2 - call and response, two male voices trading lines, playful back and forth] What'd you bring? I brought some honey from the hive! What'd you grow? The sweetest berries — they're alive! Well I've got carrots, I've got beans Well I've got peppers, I've got greens Put 'em on the table, let's make a deal Both walk away with a better meal! [Chorus - same bouncy energy, even more joyful] Run free, run free Through the open field with me Bring what you grew, I'll bring what I made We'll meet at the crossroads and we'll trade Run free, run free That's the way it's meant to be [Bridge - slightly slower tempo, wider feeling, acoustic guitar and mandolin, open and warm] Now the garden down the road They grow things we've never known And the garden 'cross the river Grows the best tomatoes ever grown You don't build a wall around your stuff You build a road so friends can come Trade with honesty, shake on it And everybody's better when it's done [Final Chorus - full energy, all instruments, band joins in singing, biggest and brightest] Run free, run free Through the open field with me Bring what you grew, I'll bring what I made We'll meet at the crossroads and we'll trade Run free, run free That's the way it's meant to be Run free — the gate is open wide Run free — there's nothing here to hide [Outro - banjo solo, joyful, fades with laughter and clapping]ts somewhere. Not with a vote. Not with a law. With the ground. [Verse 1 - solo warm low male vocal, fingerpicked acoustic guitar only, slow and earthy] Before the fence, before the gate Before we chose, before we made There was the ground beneath our feet And it was good, and it was sweet The river runs because it must The seed breaks open — built on trust You didn't vote on gravity It just holds you, it holds me [Chorus - gentle bass joins, brushed drums enter softly, warm and grounded] The ground beneath, the ground beneath It doesn't ask, it doesn't preach It just holds up everything we grow The ground beneath is how we know [Verse 2 - slightly fuller, same warm low male vocal, more confidence] Now who's gonna tend this garden here? Gotta be someone good, gotta be sincere 'Cause a crooked hand plants a crooked seed And a crooked garden's all you'll need The ones who lead us, they should be The ones who love the oldest tree Not the ones who grab the biggest fruit But the ones who water every root [Chorus - same warmth, steady build] The ground beneath, the ground beneath It doesn't ask, it doesn't preach It just holds up everything we grow The ground beneath is how we know [Bridge - slower, reflective, stripped back to just guitar, contemplative] Some folks call it faith Some folks call it law Some folks feel it in the morning light And some just stand in awe But everybody knows it's there The thing we can't explain The ground was here before the fence And it will hold through rain [Final Chorus - full band joins, female harmony vocal added, humming background voices, building to emotional peak] The ground beneath, the ground beneath It doesn't ask, it doesn't preach It just holds up everything we grow The ground beneath is how we know The ground beneath is where we start The ground beneath is in your heart [Outro - gentle fade, fingerpicked guitar alone, nature sounds return]
