Stand Behind Me

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[Intro: Maori haka male lead, one commanding call over the stomping toms]
Kia kaha, hold the line, and hold it

[Verse 1: Maori haka male lead, commanding]
Twenty years I led the haka on the field before the game
Front of the line, every eye, every stamp, every name
Skinny kid from down the road used to watch it through the fence
Pockets full of nothing and a face full of intent
Asked me could he join us, I said "Stand behind me, then"
Back row, smallest one, and the shortest of the men
Couldn't hold the rhythm, and his voice would crack in two
But he never missed a Tuesday, and his feet were black and blue

[Chorus: Maori haka male lead, full band]
Stand behind me when the ground starts to shake
Stand behind me, every stamp that I make
Now the front line's yours and the voice is yours too
Stand behind me? No, I'm standing behind you

[Verse 2: Maori haka male lead, the toms heavier]
Ten years in the back row, then the middle, then the side
Learned to slap his chest until the bruises turned to pride
Learned the words the old ones carried folded in their chest
Learned to throw his voice until it carried past the rest
Learned to look a man across the halfway line in the eye
Learned to hold the stillness when the stamp is in the sky
Now my knees are going and my lungs are getting thin
And the coach looks at me, and I look over at him

[Verse 3: Maori haka male lead, at full power]
Final home game, and the line is forming in the mud
He steps up to the front, and I can feel it in my blood
He calls it, and his voice don't crack, it splits the sky in two
I take the gap in the back row where I put him, and it's true
Every stamp I ever taught him coming back up through the ground
Twenty years out front, and I never heard that sound

[Bridge: Maori haka male lead, haka stamp, the stamps become the kick drum]
Stamp, and the ground answers
Stamp, and the old ones hear
Stamp, and the boy is the voice now
Stamp, and I'm right here

[Final Chorus: Maori haka male lead]
Stand behind me when the ground starts to shake
Stand behind me, every stamp that I make
Now the front line's yours and the voice is yours too
Stand behind me? No, I'm standing behind you
[End]

2413/7500

[Intro: Maori haka male lead, one commanding call over the stomping toms] Kia kaha, hold the line, and hold it [Verse 1: Maori haka male lead, commanding] Twenty years I led the haka on the field before the game Front of the line, every eye, every stamp, every name Skinny kid from down the road used to watch it through the fence Pockets full of nothing and a face full of intent Asked me could he join us, I said "Stand behind me, then" Back row, smallest one, and the shortest of the men Couldn't hold the rhythm, and his voice would crack in two But he never missed a Tuesday, and his feet were black and blue [Chorus: Maori haka male lead, full band] Stand behind me when the ground starts to shake Stand behind me, every stamp that I make Now the front line's yours and the voice is yours too Stand behind me? No, I'm standing behind you [Verse 2: Maori haka male lead, the toms heavier] Ten years in the back row, then the middle, then the side Learned to slap his chest until the bruises turned to pride Learned the words the old ones carried folded in their chest Learned to throw his voice until it carried past the rest Learned to look a man across the halfway line in the eye Learned to hold the stillness when the stamp is in the sky Now my knees are going and my lungs are getting thin And the coach looks at me, and I look over at him [Chorus: Maori haka male lead, full band] Stand behind me when the ground starts to shake Stand behind me, every stamp that I make Now the front line's yours and the voice is yours too Stand behind me? No, I'm standing behind you [Verse 3: Maori haka male lead, at full power] Final home game, and the line is forming in the mud He steps up to the front, and I can feel it in my blood He calls it, and his voice don't crack, it splits the sky in two I take the gap in the back row where I put him, and it's true Every stamp I ever taught him coming back up through the ground Twenty years out front, and I never heard that sound [Bridge: Maori haka male lead, haka stamp, the stamps become the kick drum] Stamp, and the ground answers Stamp, and the old ones hear Stamp, and the boy is the voice now Stamp, and I'm right here [Final Chorus: Maori haka male lead] Stand behind me when the ground starts to shake Stand behind me, every stamp that I make Now the front line's yours and the voice is yours too Stand behind me? No, I'm standing behind you [End]

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