(Tempo: Slow, stately, and powerful. Features a clean electric guitar, organ/piano, and background singers for a gospel feel.) Verse 1 (Quietly reflective, centered on the organ and a simple drum beat) I see you marching in your glitter, I see the flags held high and free, You got the sponsorship and the spotlight, honey, and the whole world watching thee. You think the road you walk is pavement, smooth and easy, mile by mile, But every right you claim today, was purchased with a quiet trial. I remember nights when the only light, was a flickering candle flame, And speaking your own lover's name, was a dangerous, silent game. Chorus (Drums hit harder, the organ swells, background vocals hum underneath) 'Cause I was Martin Luther Queen, darling, back when it wasn't pride, it was fear. We met in basements and in backrooms, wiped away a generation's tear. We weren't fighting for a fashion statement, or a headline in the news, We fought so you'd be cool, we paid the Dignity Dues. We broke the chains of silence, so your beautiful voice could ring, Yeah, we were the queens who dreamed a dream, we taught your proud song how to sing. Verse 2 (The electric guitar adds a melancholic, bluesy riff, pace remains steady) They called us names and threw the stones, just like they did in '63, Tried to tell us that our love, wasn't part of God's philosophy. We didn't have the internet to rally, no celebrity to speak our part, Just a shared and burning promise, anchored deep within the heart. We stood up to the badge and the baton, armed with nothing but the truth, To save a broken future, for the innocence of your youth. Chorus (Repeat, full power, gospel backing vocals join on the final line) 'Cause I was Martin Luther Queen, darling, back when it wasn't pride, it was fear. We met in basements and in backrooms, wiped away a generation's tear. We weren't fighting for a fashion statement, or a headline in the news, We fought so you'd be cool, we paid the Dignity Dues. We broke the chains of silence, so your beautiful voice could ring, Yeah, we were the queens who dreamed a dream, we taught your proud song how to sing. Bridge (The music drops down, piano/organ leads, very emotional and direct) So wear that glitter, own that spotlight, walk right in that open door. Just remember who laid the foundation, on that hard, unforgiving floor. It takes courage to be celebrated, but it takes sacrifice to be free. The history you think is ancient, is the ground beneath your knee. Don't let the ease of today, make you forget the price we paid. Guitar/Organ Solo (A soaring, soulful instrumental break with a lot of sustain and emotion) Outro/Tag (Fades slowly, repeating and emphasizing the main theme over a fading organ chord) The Dignity Dues were paid in full... We fought so you'd be cool... Go ahead and shine... Just don't forget the queens... I was Martin Luther Queen. (Final, soft organ chord and distant, fading background vocal
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