Held the Line

[vocals: Gritty untrained male, restrained in verses, strained lift into unified rising chorus] [background-vocals: Layered gang vocals in final chorus, rising, resolute] [intro: Soft guitar, low vocal, intimate] Hey… [verse: Quiet, grounded] We were taught to keep it fair Take what’s ours and leave it there Hold the door and hold our word Mean what’s said and stand by heard But I’ve seen them take and grin Call it smart to take again And the more they pull, the more they claim Like wanting more ain’t got no shame [verse: Broader “we,” tension building] We stayed steady, held our ground While they spun the rules around Watched the things we loved just slip away Fade a little more each day Gave our lives for the ones we love While they took the fast way up We held the line and paid the cost They got rich while we took the loss We gave our best to keep love safe So why’d that leave us in this place [build: Banjo picks up, tension rising] Yeah we—we did it the harder way Yeah we—while they laughed and walked away They cut corners, took it all Left us there to take the fall Tell me—why keep standing straight If they get paid to cheat that way [chorus: First lift, chantable] Hey! We held the line, we did our part Kept it steady, kept our heart Oh! While they took and asked for more We were breaking just to keep it whole Now we stand with empty hands Gave more than we ever planned We learned to carry, learned to survive But not how to live our lives [verse: Collapse, internal] Now the quiet feels too loud Like I’m lost inside a crowd They move easy, I don’t move right Like I’ve lived too long in fight Every quiet feels like something’s coming next When it all went quiet, I came apart All that weight was still in my heart Did we give our years away Just to end up here this way [build: Push forward] Yeah we—we don’t bend the way they do Yeah we—we held on and saw it through [bridge: Strip down, connection moment] (soft) Heard your voice the other night Didn’t fix it—but it felt right You said “man, I’ve been there too…” Something in me finally moved We ain’t alone in what we’ve done We ain’t the only stubborn ones [aria-rise: Spiritual lift begins] Ohhhhh— We were never meant to break alone Never meant to bear it on our own Ohhhhh— Through the weight and the years we gave There’s a life we still can save [final chorus: FULL LIFT — horns, voices rise] HEY! We held the line, we won’t back down Still standing on this ground OH! We don’t take—we build, we give Now we’re learning how to live AND WE— Won’t stop one step short We’ve still got something worth the war YEAH WE— We learned to survive side by side Now we’re living for something more [chorus: Extended, communal] Hey! We held the line, we’re still here (Oh-oh-oh!) through the weight and through the years Yeah we—we know what it means to care We don’t break—we repair We rise up slow, take it back Not a step back—we’ll claw it all back [outro: Spoken word, intimate, grounded, horns fading under] Olde Oak ain’t a young man anymore… But he’s gonna be alright in the end. And if he can make it… you can too. ’Cause we know what it is to love…