Outgrow the Armor

[Intro: distorted 808, distant guitar] [Verse 1: tense syncopated baritone] I built a suit of heavy armor Out of everything I feared Every stranger looked like danger Every difference felt severe Then somebody brought me dinner When the winter knocked me down And the first plate in my armor Fell without a sound [Pre-Chorus: rising falsetto] I'd been fighting every shadow When the sun was all around [Chorus: explosive soaring harmonies] We can outgrow the armor We don't have to live at war Not every unfamiliar face Is something we should fear anymore I can lower my defenses Without pretending there's no pain Let a little light come through me Let somebody in again [Break: heavy riddim bass, distorted guitar] [Verse 2: flowing melodic delivery] I began with little gestures Just a smile, a question, time Found a thousand complicated people Living lives as real as mine [Bridge: half-time, vulnerable] Trust isn't blindness And courage isn't never being scared It's finding someone worth believing in And choosing to be there [Final Chorus: major-key lift, stacked harmonies] We can outgrow the armor Let the heavy pieces fall I would rather build a friendship Than another fortress wall [Outro: clean guitar resolves]