Growing Roots

Punk; youthful fierce female shouts in the user’s own recorded voice, rough harmonies and gang call-and-response; fast, relentless d-beat drive with abrupt stop-start breakdown; loud rehearsal-room DIY cassette-demo mix, tape saturation, hiss, mic bleed, feedback; crunchy garage guitars, palm-muted power chords, melodic lead guitar, driving pick bass, fast snare attacks and crash-heavy fills

**[Intro — Solo guitar, gentle fingerpicking, intimate and unpolished]**

**[Verse 1 — Soft, restrained vocals]**

I watch the morning through the bars,
Count passing clouds instead of cars.
The sunlight moves across the floor,
Then disappears beneath the door.

I mark the seasons on the wall,
I hear the distant footsteps fall.
The world keeps turning, day by day,
And I keep watching it slip away.

**[Verse 2 — Slightly fuller guitar, still intimate]**

I know the cracks beneath my bed,
The words the guards have never said.
I know which floorboards start to cry,
I know when rain is passing by.

I used to dream of getting out,
Of streets and noise and nights downtown.
Now every sound beyond this place
Feels like a song I can't retrace.

**[Chorus — Open chords, fragile but melodic vocals]**

I was so afraid of growing roots,
Of staying still, of settling down.
I spent my whole life running loose,
Never letting myself be found.

Now there's a garden underneath,
In all the places I can't see.
I was so afraid of growing roots—

I never noticed mine growing in me.

**[Verse 3 — Quieter, more exposed vocals]**

I wonder if the trees have grown,
If anyone still knows my home.
If someone's waiting by the phone,
Or if they learned to live alone.

I wonder what I'll do outside,
With all this time I can't rewind.
What if the door swings open wide,
And I don't know which way to drive?

**[Chorus — Warmer delivery, subtle emotional lift]**

I was so afraid of growing roots,
Of staying still, of settling down.
I spent my whole life running loose,
Never letting myself be found.

Now there's a garden underneath,
In all the places I can't see.
I was so afraid of growing roots—

I never noticed mine growing in me.

**[Bridge — Sparse fingerpicking, voice almost breaking]**

Maybe home was never home.
Maybe I was meant to roam.
Maybe freedom isn't leaving,
Maybe it's the thing I'm grieving.

If they opened up the door,
Would I know what I came here for?

**[Final Chorus — Gentle, emotionally raw, no added instruments]**

I was so afraid of growing roots,
I thought that leaving made me free.
I spent my whole life cutting loose
From every hand that reached for me.

Now there's a garden underneath,
And I don't know what it means.
I was so afraid of growing roots—

I never noticed…

They were growing into me.

**[Outro — One final acoustic phrase, strings ringing naturally]**

The door is still closed.

The sun is still moving.

And somewhere outside…

The world keeps growing.

[End]

2505/7500

**[Intro — Solo guitar, gentle fingerpicking, intimate and unpolished]** **[Verse 1 — Soft, restrained vocals]** I watch the morning through the bars, Count passing clouds instead of cars. The sunlight moves across the floor, Then disappears beneath the door. I mark the seasons on the wall, I hear the distant footsteps fall. The world keeps turning, day by day, And I keep watching it slip away. **[Verse 2 — Slightly fuller guitar, still intimate]** I know the cracks beneath my bed, The words the guards have never said. I know which floorboards start to cry, I know when rain is passing by. I used to dream of getting out, Of streets and noise and nights downtown. Now every sound beyond this place Feels like a song I can't retrace. **[Chorus — Open chords, fragile but melodic vocals]** I was so afraid of growing roots, Of staying still, of settling down. I spent my whole life running loose, Never letting myself be found. Now there's a garden underneath, In all the places I can't see. I was so afraid of growing roots— I never noticed mine growing in me. **[Verse 3 — Quieter, more exposed vocals]** I wonder if the trees have grown, If anyone still knows my home. If someone's waiting by the phone, Or if they learned to live alone. I wonder what I'll do outside, With all this time I can't rewind. What if the door swings open wide, And I don't know which way to drive? **[Chorus — Warmer delivery, subtle emotional lift]** I was so afraid of growing roots, Of staying still, of settling down. I spent my whole life running loose, Never letting myself be found. Now there's a garden underneath, In all the places I can't see. I was so afraid of growing roots— I never noticed mine growing in me. **[Bridge — Sparse fingerpicking, voice almost breaking]** Maybe home was never home. Maybe I was meant to roam. Maybe freedom isn't leaving, Maybe it's the thing I'm grieving. If they opened up the door, Would I know what I came here for? **[Final Chorus — Gentle, emotionally raw, no added instruments]** I was so afraid of growing roots, I thought that leaving made me free. I spent my whole life cutting loose From every hand that reached for me. Now there's a garden underneath, And I don't know what it means. I was so afraid of growing roots— I never noticed… They were growing into me. **[Outro — One final acoustic phrase, strings ringing naturally]** The door is still closed. The sun is still moving. And somewhere outside… The world keeps growing. [End]

0/500