Verse 1 [Male rap voice, gritty and intimate, low and raw over tense atmospheric pads] I keep it wrapped in cloth that used to smell like her hair The last thing left when they dragged her from the square They said the Light would purify what they called her sin Now all I have is ash where her laughter used to live Some nights I open it and let the powder stain my skin Like if I hold it long enough I’ll feel her breath again The rage don’t burn hot — it sits cold and heavy in my chest The kind that makes a king decide he’ll never kneel again Chorus [Melodic male vocal, raw and aching over dark EDM drop with heavy 808s] Ash in my fist and it won’t let me forget Every promise that I made her that I haven’t kept yet They took the light from her eyes and left me with the flame Now every stand I take is speaking both our names I close my hand around it when the yoke starts pressing down This ash is heavier than any golden crown Verse 2 [Male rap voice, gritty and intimate, building] The edicts keep arriving and the fires keep getting closer But I see her face in every child they try to make bow lower I feel her in the silence when my people look to me Asking if their king still has the spine to set them free I don’t stand for glory and I don’t stand for the throne I stand because her braid turned to dust inside my home The weight of every soul is tied to this small handful of gray And I will carry both until the last of them is safe Chorus [Melodic male vocal, raw and aching over dark EDM drop with heavy 808s] Ash in my fist and it won’t let me forget Every promise that I made her that I haven’t kept yet They took the light from her eyes and left me with the flame Now every stand I take is speaking both our names I close my hand around it when the yoke starts pressing down This ash is heavier than any golden crown Bridge [Switch to Female vocal layers, ethereal and sorrowful, memory-like over atmospheric breakdown] Brother… you don’t have to hold me so tight The ash will stay with you even when you fight But don’t let the cold turn you into what they fear Let it burn clean — let it make the darkness clear Final Chorus [Melodic male vocal, bigger drop with grit and layers] Ash in my fist and it won’t let me forget Every promise that I made her that I haven’t kept yet They took the light from her eyes and left me with the flame Now every stand I take is speaking both our names I close my hand around it when the yoke starts pressing down This ash is heavier than any golden crown And I will keep it with me till the yoke is on the ground
