Better a Fire Alarm Than a Fire Engine

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V6-MINI

(Acoustic guitar. Upright bass. Female hum underneath.)

It wasn't endurance, it wasn't pride
It wasn't gritting teeth and staying inside
It was a room full of strangers, once a week
Who asked the second question when I couldn't speak

(Tambourine. Brushed snare. Female hum rises.)

(Chorus — Warm, Communal)
Better a fire alarm than a fire engine
Better a small beep than a siren
Better the awkward call before the fall
Better the quiet than the silence

You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin
You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin

(Full band. Pump organ. Hand claps. Female hum soars.)

(Verse 2 — What the Room Gave)
It taught me words for what I couldn't name
Trigger, boundary, regulation, shame
A feeling you can name is a feeling you can carry
A feeling you can't carries you instead

(Acoustic guitar. Brushed snare. Female hum underneath.)

It gave me a place where emotions could move
Out of the body, into the room
And it made me feel less alone, the hardest part
When a stranger said "me too" and opened their heart

(Upright bass. Tambourine. Female hum rises.)

(Pre-Chorus — Building)
It's not the last straw that breaks the back
It's the thousand straws before
It's not the fire that takes the house
It's the smoke we ignore

(Pump organ enters. Drums build. Female hum swells.)

(Chorus — Explosive, Gospel)
Better a fire alarm than a fire engine
Better a small beep than a siren
Better the awkward call before the fall
Better the quiet than the silence

You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin
You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin

(Full band. Harmonies. Hand claps. Female hum soars.)

(Bridge — Stripped, Spoken Word, Intimate)
[Acoustic guitar only. Voice spoken, gentle. Female hum distant.]

I'm not that bad yet.
— A smoke detector doesn't measure your suffering against your neighbour's.
It only asks: is there smoke?

(Pause. Bass enters.)

I'll handle it myself.
— Self-reliance is a tool, not a religion.
Even firefighters drill with teams.

(Pause. Pump organ enters. Drums build.)

I don't want to waste their time.
— The person who answers chose that work.
You are not a distraction from their purpose.
You are their purpose.

(Full band explodes. Key shifts. Gospel energy.)

Nothing is on fire. I'd feel silly.
— That's the alarm working, not failing.
Every fire prevented looks, in hindsight, like an overreaction.
But you can learn to celebrate it.

(Harmonies: Celebrate it... celebrate it...)

Mental health is not a one-day activity
It's a practice
Mental health is not a one-day activity
It's a practice

(Chorus — Massive, Singalong)
Better a fire alarm than a fire engine
Better a small beep than a siren
Better the awkward call before the fall
Better the quiet than the silence

You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin
You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin

(Harmonies: Begin... begin... Female hum soars.)

We are the fire alarm
We are the fire alarm
We are the fire alarm
We are the fire alarm

(Full band. Pump organ. Tambourine. Hand claps. Female hum swells then fades.)

(Verse 3 — The Practice)
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth
Faithfulness the best relationship — I keep telling myself
Not an event, not a workshop, not a one-time retreat
A practice, a season, a hundred ordinary beats

(Acoustic guitar. Upright bass. Brushed snare. Female hum underneath.)

The alarm is not glamorous, it beeps when you're busy
It interrupts, it makes you check what you'd rather not see
But I stood closer to the fire than I ever wanted to
And the beep is nothing. The beep is a kindness.

(Tambourine. Pump organ. Female hum rises.)

(Final Chorus — Resolved, Communal)
Better a fire alarm than a fire engine
Better a small beep than a siren
Better the awkward call before the fall
Better the quiet than the silence

You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin
You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin

(Harmonies: Begin... begin...)

Thank you to the ones who answer
Thank you to the ones who stay
Thank you to the ones who ask the second question
Thank you for the alarm today

(Full band. Gospel energy. Female hum soars.)

(Outro — Stripped, Spoken-Sung, Female Hum Fading)
[Acoustic guitar. Pump organ. Ambient pad. Voice soft.]

Go easy on yourself
Act early
Keep the practice
Better a fire alarm than a fire engine
Always

(Female hum: Mm... mm... ah... fades.)

You are not alone
Help is available
You don't have to be okay
You just have to begin

(Acoustic guitar holds one final chord. Pump organ fades. Drums stop. Bass holds one note. Female hum fades. Silence.)

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(Verse 1 — The Confession) I wrote about the walls that never move I wrote about the flares, the fog, the truth I wrote about the empty pockets, the silent phone But I never wrote about the thing that kept me whole (Acoustic guitar. Upright bass. Female hum underneath.) It wasn't endurance, it wasn't pride It wasn't gritting teeth and staying inside It was a room full of strangers, once a week Who asked the second question when I couldn't speak (Tambourine. Brushed snare. Female hum rises.) (Chorus — Warm, Communal) Better a fire alarm than a fire engine Better a small beep than a siren Better the awkward call before the fall Better the quiet than the silence You don't have to be okay You just have to begin You don't have to be okay You just have to begin (Full band. Pump organ. Hand claps. Female hum soars.) (Verse 2 — What the Room Gave) It taught me words for what I couldn't name Trigger, boundary, regulation, shame A feeling you can name is a feeling you can carry A feeling you can't carries you instead (Acoustic guitar. Brushed snare. Female hum underneath.) It gave me a place where emotions could move Out of the body, into the room And it made me feel less alone, the hardest part When a stranger said "me too" and opened their heart (Upright bass. Tambourine. Female hum rises.) (Pre-Chorus — Building) It's not the last straw that breaks the back It's the thousand straws before It's not the fire that takes the house It's the smoke we ignore (Pump organ enters. Drums build. Female hum swells.) (Chorus — Explosive, Gospel) Better a fire alarm than a fire engine Better a small beep than a siren Better the awkward call before the fall Better the quiet than the silence You don't have to be okay You just have to begin You don't have to be okay You just have to begin (Full band. Harmonies. Hand claps. Female hum soars.) (Bridge — Stripped, Spoken Word, Intimate) [Acoustic guitar only. Voice spoken, gentle. Female hum distant.] I'm not that bad yet. — A smoke detector doesn't measure your suffering against your neighbour's. It only asks: is there smoke? (Pause. Bass enters.) I'll handle it myself. — Self-reliance is a tool, not a religion. Even firefighters drill with teams. (Pause. Pump organ enters. Drums build.) I don't want to waste their time. — The person who answers chose that work. You are not a distraction from their purpose. You are their purpose. (Full band explodes. Key shifts. Gospel energy.) Nothing is on fire. I'd feel silly. — That's the alarm working, not failing. Every fire prevented looks, in hindsight, like an overreaction. But you can learn to celebrate it. (Harmonies: Celebrate it... celebrate it...) Mental health is not a one-day activity It's a practice Mental health is not a one-day activity It's a practice (Chorus — Massive, Singalong) Better a fire alarm than a fire engine Better a small beep than a siren Better the awkward call before the fall Better the quiet than the silence You don't have to be okay You just have to begin You don't have to be okay You just have to begin (Harmonies: Begin... begin... Female hum soars.) We are the fire alarm We are the fire alarm We are the fire alarm We are the fire alarm (Full band. Pump organ. Tambourine. Hand claps. Female hum swells then fades.) (Verse 3 — The Practice) Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth Faithfulness the best relationship — I keep telling myself Not an event, not a workshop, not a one-time retreat A practice, a season, a hundred ordinary beats (Acoustic guitar. Upright bass. Brushed snare. Female hum underneath.) The alarm is not glamorous, it beeps when you're busy It interrupts, it makes you check what you'd rather not see But I stood closer to the fire than I ever wanted to And the beep is nothing. The beep is a kindness. (Tambourine. Pump organ. Female hum rises.) (Final Chorus — Resolved, Communal) Better a fire alarm than a fire engine Better a small beep than a siren Better the awkward call before the fall Better the quiet than the silence You don't have to be okay You just have to begin You don't have to be okay You just have to begin (Harmonies: Begin... begin...) Thank you to the ones who answer Thank you to the ones who stay Thank you to the ones who ask the second question Thank you for the alarm today (Full band. Gospel energy. Female hum soars.) (Outro — Stripped, Spoken-Sung, Female Hum Fading) [Acoustic guitar. Pump organ. Ambient pad. Voice soft.] Go easy on yourself Act early Keep the practice Better a fire alarm than a fire engine Always (Female hum: Mm... mm... ah... fades.) You are not alone Help is available You don't have to be okay You just have to begin (Acoustic guitar holds one final chord. Pump organ fades. Drums stop. Bass holds one note. Female hum fades. Silence.)

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