Rites of Passage

[Intro – Low rhythmic mystery] In the hush before the fire is lit, In the shadow where the boy still sits, There’s a drum beneath his chest, Calling him away from rest. A whisper through the ancient trees, Not comfort now, but destiny, No more the child who waits to be, The door is closed behind. [Verse 1] They lead him past the village line, Past the warmth of what was mine, Mother’s arms now far behind, Silence sharp and wide. No rescue in the coming night, Only breath and trembling fight, Fear becomes a torch of light, When he will not hide. [Pre-Chorus] Can you stand when no one sees? Can you kneel and not retreat? Can you face what lives beneath, And still choose your ground? [Chorus] Beat the drum inside my bones, Strip the boy from skin and stone, Test my will until it’s known, I will not turn back. Through the hunger, through the flame, Through the breaking of my name, Forge me in the sacred pain, Call me into men. [Verse 2 – Intensifying] Sweat and earth and pounding feet, Heart and thunder start to meet, Every doubt must taste defeat, Every excuse must fall. No applause and no disguise, Only truth in elder eyes, Strength is quiet, steady, wise, After the storm is gone. [Bridge – Wild section] Let the wild drums split the sky, Let the old self crack and die, Let the brotherhood reply, You have paid the cost. Blood of courage, breath of fire, Climb the ridge of something higher, Stand within the ring of iron, Nothing now is lost. I am not the center here, I am not my passing fear, I am part of something clear, Older than my name. [Final Chorus – Grounding] Beat the drum but slow it down, Feel my feet upon the ground, Strength is steady, not a sound, Carried in my chest. I have faced the darkest night, Earned my place in honest sight, Power held with tempered might, Standing with the rest. [Outro – Grounded beat] The fire burns but does not roar, I do not need to prove once more, I know what I am standing for, A man among the men. The drum is steady, deep and low, Not for show but what I know, I crossed the line, I chose to grow, And I stand within the tribe of men.