She Never Needed Permission

[INTRO — C minor | 6/8 | 72 BPM] [Low cello ostinato, distant metallic pulse] She was taught to lower her eyes and leave a little room. To laugh at jokes that cut her so the table stayed in tune. Every time she swallowed words they called her well-behaved. A woman everybody liked provided she obeyed.[VERSE — C minor | 76 BPM] [Muted piano, 3+3+2 bass] She learned to read a crowded room before she learned her name. Put her own ambitions on the highest shelf, out of frame. They praised her for her patience, for the way she never fought. Then called her difficult the moment she began to speak her thought.[CHORUS — D minor | 88 BPM] [Full strings, deep syncopated bass] She never needed permission to become what she could be. She was never born to live by somebody else’s decree. Let them whisper in the hallway, let them question every choice. They can keep their little opinions. She has finally found her voice. [BRIDGE — C minor | 70 BPM feel] [Exposed cello, close-mic] There were nights she nearly gave up. There were mornings she stayed in bed. She made mistakes. She hurt some people. She stayed too long. She left too late. But none of that disqualifies her from deciding what comes next.[FINAL CHORUS — E-flat minor | 100 BPM] NOT AT TWENTY! NOT AT FIFTY! NOT FROM ANYONE WHO THOUGHT HER LIFE WAS THEIRS TO DECIDE! LET THEM WHISPER IN THE HALLWAY! LET THEM QUESTION EVERY CHOICE! SHE HAS NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE! SHE HAS NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE! [Solo cello, intimate chest] They used to ask who gave her permission. Nobody did. [CELLO RESOLVES]