[INTRO] [CHORDS: Dadd9 - Gmaj7 - Bm7 - Asus] [PERFORMANCE: Sparse piano and ambient guitar. Gentle, expectant. Let the horizon open slowly.] [VERSE 1] [CHORDS: D - Dmaj7 - Bm7 - G | D - Dmaj7 - Bm7 - A | Em7 - F#m7 | Gadd9 | D - A/C# - Bm7 - A] [PERFORMANCE: Intimate, close-mic vocal. Slight tension in phrasing. Let “borrowed tongue” and “second skin” feel observational, not theatrical. Keep drums minimal.] Borrowed tongue and a second skin [D] [Dmaj7] [Bm7] [G] Smiling wide just to wander in [D] [Dmaj7] [Bm7] [A] Every room has a little altar [Em7] [F#m7] Most bend early, most voices falter [Gadd9] Truth stands thin where the masks begin [D] [A/C#] [Bm7] [A] [CHORUS] [CHORDS: G - D/F# - Em7 - D | G - D/F# - Em7 - Asus | G - D/F# - Bm7 - A | G - A - D] [PERFORMANCE: Open the tone and widen the vowels. This is clear conviction, not aggression. Bass and drums broaden. Add strings or horn pads on lines 3 and 4.] Don’t stay relevant [G] [D/F#] [Em7] [D] Evolve ahead of relevance [G] [D/F#] [Em7] [Asus] Be more than the moment asks for [G] [D/F#] [Bm7] [A] Before the world knows [G] [A] [D] [VERSE 2] [CHORDS: Bm7 - A/C# - D - G | Bm7 - A/C# - D - A | Em7 - D/F# | Gmaj7 | D - A - G - D] [PERFORMANCE: Warmer and more settled than Verse 1. Let the phrasing breathe. A little more resonance on “oil,” “roots,” and “grace.”] Oil in the lamp and a patient hand [Bm7] [A/C#] [D] [G] Roots drink deep where the dark things stand [Bm7] [A/C#] [D] [A] No voice arrives to explain the waiting [Em7] [D/F#] Grace does its work below the praising [Gmaj7] Morning comes where the true things stand [D] [A] [G] [D] [CHORUS] [CHORDS: G - D/F# - Em7 - D | G - D/F# - Em7 - Asus | G - D/F# - Bm7 - A | G - A - D] [PERFORMANCE: Same melody, slightly more lift. Add a subtle harmony on the final line only.] Don’t stay relevant [G] [D/F#] [Em7] [D] Evolve ahead of relevance [G] [D/F#] [Em7] [Asus] Be more than the moment asks for [G] [D/F#] [Bm7] [A] Before the world knows [G] [A] [D] [BRIDGE] [CHORDS: Bm - G | D/F# - A | Bm - G | Em7 - A | G - D/F# | Em7 - Asus] [PERFORMANCE: Pull the arrangement back. More exposed vocal. Slight rhythmic suspension. Let “truest call” land with weight, not volume.] Being early feels lonely [Bm] [G] Becoming feels so small [D/F#] [A] Stone takes the patient chisel [Bm] [G] Before it bears the wall [Em7] [A] What looks like only waiting [G] [D/F#] May be the truest call [Em7] [Asus] [FINAL CHORUS] [CHORDS: G - D/F# - Em7 - D | G - D/F# - Em7 - Asus | G - D/F# - Bm7 - A | G - A - Bm7 - A | G - A - D] [PERFORMANCE: Fullest section. Add octave support or light harmony. Keep it noble and human. No shouting. Let the last line bloom.] Don’t stay relevant [G] [D/F#] [Em7] [D] Evolve ahead of relevance [G] [D/F#] [Em7] [Asus] Be more than the moment asks for [G] [D/F#] [Bm7] [A] Before the world knows [G] [A] [Bm7] [A] Before the world knows [G] [A] [D] [OUTRO] [CHORDS: Dadd9 - Gmaj7 - D/F# - Em7 - D] [PERFORMANCE: Let the energy settle. Piano and ambient guitar remain. Final vocal can be soft, almost prayerful.] Before the world knows [Dadd9] [Gmaj7] [D/F#] [Em7] [D]
