Saints of the Side Street

[Intro – Spoken word over gritty feedback] “In the name of the brotherhood, the streetlight gospel, and the bullets we never fired in vain…” [Verse 1] They lit the match, but we held the flame Holy in our havoc, unbaptized names Boot prints on the concrete, saints without a shrine We pray with fists, and we bless with time [Pre-Chorus] No robes, no crosses, no priestly decree Just a pair of knuckles and a war-born creed [Chorus – Gang vocals, big punk hook] We ain’t angels, we ain’t sinners — just the fire in between We write sermons in gunpowder and wash our hands in gasoline From the alleyways to altar steps, we kneel and we defy Saints of the side street — blessed be the battle cry! [Verse 2] We carried our brothers, dragged truth through hell Every scar a scripture, we wore it well The silence breaks when justice sings Our rosaries are chains and rings [Pre-Chorus – Variant] No pulpit, no psalms, just the echo of steel Every prayer we speak is a vow we feel [Chorus – Repeat] We ain’t angels, we ain’t sinners — just the fire in between We write sermons in gunpowder and wash our hands in gasoline From the alleyways to altar steps, we kneel and we defy Saints of the side street — blessed be the battle cry! [Bridge – Spoken or slow sung, ambient tone] Ryan walked the quiet miles, the long dark with no name Now his voice rides with thunder, carved into the flame The world forgot the faithful, but we remember still… In every justice served, and every drink we spill. [Final Chorus – Full band explosion, call-and-response] We ain’t angels, we ain’t sinners — we’re the ones they couldn't chain We write gospel on brick walls with blood and holy pain From the rooftops to the graveyard gates, we scream and we survive Saints of the side street — long may the lost ones rise! [Outro – Feedback & fading gang vocals] (Saints of the side street… long may they rise…)