Cherished & Despised

[Roots reggae, Hawaiian reggae fusion, mid-tempo 82 BPM, conscious reggae, slightly bitter male vocals with emotional rasp, skanking rhythm guitar, deep dub bass, steel drums, soft background harmonies turning haunting, Bob Marley meets Damian Marley storytelling style with island soul] [Intro - spoken/sung softly over light guitar] Yeah... cherished and despised... same damn place... [Verse 1] Crumbling linoleum under barefoot souls Sweat and plumeria fighting for control This halau raised me up, then it swallowed me whole Cherished and despised, losing sight of my goal [Pre-Chorus] Top three finishes, trophies on the shelf Mentored the champions, but I lost myself [Chorus] Cherished and despised, living this double life Dreams on the shelf collecting dust and strife Golden buzzer my ass, they passed me by again Reality check came crashing like the tradewind rain [Verse 2] Studio shadows, old cables on the floor Half-finished tracks from 2018, still waiting for more Thought I had the fire, thought I’d break on through But the line was a mile long, and none of it was true [Pre-Chorus] Delusion kept me warm on those lonely nights Bitterness the only friend that still felt right [Chorus] Cherished and despised, living this double life Dreams on the shelf collecting dust and strife Golden buzzer my ass, they passed me by again Reality check came crashing like the tradewind rain [Bridge - slower, spoken/sung with pain] Lisa said “time to move on, braddah” Kids need a father, not another dreamer Unrequited hope in every measure Despair in the silence, my only treasure [Final Chorus - bigger, raw emotion] Cherished and despised, can’t escape these walls Halau saved my body, but it imprisoned my soul What dis mean? — text from Big Time Ikaika Cuz asking if the old studio still alive, still fighting [Outro - fading with echoes and light dub effects] Drift away... cherished... despised... Golden buzzer my ass... yeah... What dis mean?... what dis mean?...