Hundred million dollars that's what they promised Big circus rolling in to save the colonies Swooped in took our venues took our spotlight Filled our heads with dreams then caught a red-eye flight Sent our money overseas called it opportunity Bled our budgets dry in the name of community Promises on stages cameras in their faces Left us holding nothing but receipts and empty spaces Oh-de-lay-ee-oh we see you Oh-de-lay-ee-oh we do Oh-de-lay-ee-oh Don't need your permission to build what we're building Don't need your circus your pitch deck your billing We were here before you we'll be here when you're gone Don't need saving we've been strong all along Metrics aren't meaning visibility ain't truth Priced out the locals sold dreams to the youth Gatekeepers in lanyards deciding who gets in Meanwhile we're in basements where the real work begins You wanted us to lay down play the grateful host Kiss the ring say thank you raise a champagne toast But we've been building something you could never buy Roots go deep motherfucker and we don't need your sky Oh-de-lay-ee-oh got my eye on you Oh-de-lay-ee-oh watching what you do Oh-de-lay-ee-oh promises come due Don't need your permission to build what we're building Don't need your circus your pitch deck your billing We were here before you we'll be here when you're gone Don't need saving we've been strong all along Oh-de-lay-ee-oh the signal's in the margins Oh-de-lay-ee-oh not your scripted swarms Oh-de-lay-ee-oh we build in liminal spaces Oh-de-lay-ee-oh we weather our own storms Conference class flies home to tell the story How they saved the locals bathed us in their glory But the dirt under our nails the calluses on our hands That's the real economy they'll never understand Don't need your permission to build what we're building Don't need your circus your pitch deck your billing We were here before you we'll be here when you leave Building something real that you could not conceive We were here before We'll be here after Your receipts and empty spaces Our roots and our laughter Don't need permission Never did Never will
