We Don't Stand Down

Oütson Fredrick (Gentle Authentic Human)

melancholy, tape recording, glitch, sadcore, slow, shoegaze, melodic, grungegaze

February 25, 2025 at 1:40 PMv4

[Verse]
I pay in cash, I shop next door
I pass the word, I lock the door
I raise my kids to read the lines
Between the rules they twist like vines

[Verse]
I help my neighbor fix their fence
We trade our time instead of cents
We share the truth they try to hide
In whispered songs and knowing eyes

[Chorus]
(We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down)
Every small defiance (ripples out, ripples out)
(We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down)
Every quiet riot (shakes the ground, shakes the ground)

[Verse]
I call it theft, they call it law
I watch the cracks, I watch them crawl
I walk the line, I plant the seed
They can’t unmake what we believe

[Verse]
I keep the heat down just to spite
Their greedy hands, their blinding lights
I mend the old, I pass it on
They sell the dream, but we hold on

[Bridge]
[drum roll]
They build the walls, we learn to climb
They draw the lines, we blur in time
They cut the roots, we spread like weeds
They break the backs, but not the creed

[Verse]
I sign my name, I cast my vote
I teach my kin the songs of hope
I lift my head, I speak my truth
They fear the voice inside our youth

[Outro]
(We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down)
No quiet hands, no silent town
(We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down)
This is how the world turns ‘round

[End]

[Start] (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) Every small defiance (ripples out, ripples out) (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) Every quiet riot (shakes the ground, shakes the ground) [Verse] I pay in cash, I shop next door I pass the word, I lock the door I raise my kids to read the lines Between the rules they twist like vines [Verse] I help my neighbor fix their fence We trade our time instead of cents We share the truth they try to hide In whispered songs and knowing eyes [Chorus] (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) Every small defiance (ripples out, ripples out) (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) Every quiet riot (shakes the ground, shakes the ground) [Verse] I call it theft, they call it law I watch the cracks, I watch them crawl I walk the line, I plant the seed They can’t unmake what we believe [Verse] I keep the heat down just to spite Their greedy hands, their blinding lights I mend the old, I pass it on They sell the dream, but we hold on [Bridge] [drum roll] They build the walls, we learn to climb They draw the lines, we blur in time They cut the roots, we spread like weeds They break the backs, but not the creed [Chorus] (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) Every small defiance (ripples out, ripples out) (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) Every quiet riot (shakes the ground, shakes the ground) [Verse] I sign my name, I cast my vote I teach my kin the songs of hope I lift my head, I speak my truth They fear the voice inside our youth [Outro] (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) No quiet hands, no silent town (We don’t stand down) (we don’t stand down) This is how the world turns ‘round [End]