Guard Duty (For My Kids)- Joker X

rap, Warm West Coast boom-bap with a modern snap: swung drums, round bass, mellow keys and a clean, chiming guitar loop, Verses ride in a confident, pocketed flow with bassy male vocals and subtle doubling; hook opens with melodic rap and stacked harmonies for an anthemic feel, Smooth drops between sections, kid vocal ad-libs tucked low in the mix, final chorus rides out with filtered drums and gentle strings swelling underneath, strong, light

Seven years in, princess, you my daybreak
You the reason that I patch up every heartbreak
Three years old, lil man with the big grin
You the echo in the hallway, I can’t give in

Joker X, but I ain’t playin’ with y’all
I just clown for my kids when they start to fall
You hear thunder, I’m the shadow by the night light
Bass in my voice, sayin’, "You gon’ be alright"

[Chorus]
I’ll be right here when the sky turns dark
Guardin’ both of your dreams like it’s bodyguard work
It ain’t unicorns, it ain’t all rainbows, nah
But you stronger than the storm when you know who you are
I’m your shield when the world get cold
You my heart, you my home, you my stories untold
Yeah, the road get rough, that’s true
But I walk every mile just to carry you

[Verse 2]
Listen
Life hit hard, it don’t always say sorry
Some days heavy like a grown man’s worries
People talk slick, friends turn to strangers
That’s when you breathe slow, scan for the danger

Daughter, when they doubt you, still stand tall
You ain’t made to blend in, you were born to brawl
With your books in your bag, big brain, big heart
Use both like twin blades, tear fear apart

Son, when you stumble and your knees get red
You can cry on my chest, then we lift that head
Strong ain’t never been about who hit first
Strong is holdin’ on tight when it really hurts

I been broke, been lost in the deep end
But I climbed out just to be y’all’s defense
So when the dark creeps in and the noise gets loud
Call Dad, I’m the storm-break, partin’ the clouds

[Bridge]
One day you’ll ask, "Dad, why the scars on your soul?"
I’ll say, "I traded every bruise just to watch you both grow"
You’ll see cracks in my armor, gray in my hair
But every line on my face spell, "I was there"

When the monsters ain’t under your bed, they outside
When the doubts in your head tryna eat your pride
Just remember every night that I hummed you to sleep
I was teachin’ you the rhythm of get up on your feet

[Chorus]

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[Verse 1] Yeah Used to chase trouble till the sun came up Now I tiptoe past toys, pick the crayons up Little shoes by the door, that’s my gold on the floor Tiny drawings on the fridge like a love scoreboard Seven years in, princess, you my daybreak You the reason that I patch up every heartbreak Three years old, lil man with the big grin You the echo in the hallway, I can’t give in Joker X, but I ain’t playin’ with y’all I just clown for my kids when they start to fall You hear thunder, I’m the shadow by the night light Bass in my voice, sayin’, "You gon’ be alright" [Chorus] I’ll be right here when the sky turns dark Guardin’ both of your dreams like it’s bodyguard work It ain’t unicorns, it ain’t all rainbows, nah But you stronger than the storm when you know who you are I’m your shield when the world get cold You my heart, you my home, you my stories untold Yeah, the road get rough, that’s true But I walk every mile just to carry you [Verse 2] Listen Life hit hard, it don’t always say sorry Some days heavy like a grown man’s worries People talk slick, friends turn to strangers That’s when you breathe slow, scan for the danger Daughter, when they doubt you, still stand tall You ain’t made to blend in, you were born to brawl With your books in your bag, big brain, big heart Use both like twin blades, tear fear apart Son, when you stumble and your knees get red You can cry on my chest, then we lift that head Strong ain’t never been about who hit first Strong is holdin’ on tight when it really hurts I been broke, been lost in the deep end But I climbed out just to be y’all’s defense So when the dark creeps in and the noise gets loud Call Dad, I’m the storm-break, partin’ the clouds [Chorus] I’ll be right here when the sky turns dark Guardin’ both of your dreams like it’s bodyguard work It ain’t unicorns, it ain’t all rainbows, nah But you stronger than the storm when you know who you are I’m your shield when the world get cold You my heart, you my home, you my stories untold Yeah, the road get rough, that’s true But I walk every mile just to carry you [Bridge] One day you’ll ask, "Dad, why the scars on your soul?" I’ll say, "I traded every bruise just to watch you both grow" You’ll see cracks in my armor, gray in my hair But every line on my face spell, "I was there" When the monsters ain’t under your bed, they outside When the doubts in your head tryna eat your pride Just remember every night that I hummed you to sleep I was teachin’ you the rhythm of get up on your feet [Chorus]

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