(Verse 1) The humidity was heavy on that first August day We gathered in the hallway, not sure what to say From the Panhandle forests to the Miami heat A circle of strangers, soon to be complete We opened up the textbooks, the theories and the laws Learning how to listen, how to find the hidden cause Through the long nights of reading by a flickering light Preparing for the burden, preparing for the fight. (Chorus) Through the years, we’ve grown like the cypress in the tide With the strength of the ocean and nowhere left to hide From the classrooms in Florida to the lives we’re meant to touch We’ve learned that a little hope can mean so very much Through the years, through the tears, through the grace We found our purpose in this sun-drenched place. (Verse 2) Do you remember the fieldwork, the miles on the road? Carrying the weight of a heavy, human load From the glades to the gulf, in the shadows of the palms Bringing steady voices and a spirit that calms We saw the broken systems and the families in need We learned to plant the garden and to nurture every seed No longer just students with a dream in our eyes But advocates rising under orange-tinted skies. (Bridge) It wasn’t just the credit hours or the titles by our names It was learning how to sit within the flicker of the flames To bear witness to the struggle, to walk beside the pain And know that after every storm, there’s healing in the rain. (Verse 3) Now the caps are in the air and the tassels move to the side But the bond we built in Florida will forever be our guide We’re heading to the clinics, the schools, and the streets With a rhythm in our hearts that never skips its beats The journey doesn't end here, it’s only just begun Working for the justice that is owed to everyone. (Chorus) Through the years, we’ve grown like the cypress in the tide With the strength of the ocean and nowhere left to hide From the classrooms in Florida to the lives we’re meant to touch We’ve learned that a little hope can mean so very much Through the years, through the tears, through the grace We found our purpose in this sun-drenched place. (Outro) Through the years... We’re ready now. Through the years... Florida’s future is in our hands. Through the years.
