A Different Tree

[Intro — Spoken, over lyre and distant choir] They asked us who was fairest. They handed us an apple and expected us to choose. But perhaps the question was the first wound. [Verse 1 — Voice One] I love the old story, but something feels wrong. They blame the fruit for a war all along. But the apple was only a mirror held high, revealing the hunger already inside. Pride in the palace, possession in bloom, comparison whispering, “Make someone lose.” Honour without wisdom, revenge dressed as fate— the seed of destruction was planted before hate. [Pre-Chorus — Voice Two] What kind of question creates what we fear? What kind of answer makes enemies appear? What if beauty was never the crown? What if wisdom was how we were found? [Chorus — Both Voices] We do not answer the apple with another apple. We answer it with a different tree. A different question, a different dream, a different way for the world to be. Let wisdom roam. Let beauty radiate. Let vanity compare, but never choose our fate. We do not answer the apple with another apple. We answer it with a different tree. [Verse 2 — Voice One] Let wisdom guide power. Let justice guide kings. Let love guide the heart through the suffering. Let honour be humble. Let truth lose its blade. Let glory be measured by the shelter we made. One road builds empires destined to fall. One road builds tables with room for us all. One conquers cities and calls itself great. One plants an orchard for those born too late. [Pre-Chorus — Choir Rising] Wisdom. Understanding. Respect and compassion. Cooperation. Creation. Not another throne. Not another wall. A tree wide enough to shelter us all. [Chorus — Full Choir] We do not answer the apple with another apple. We answer it with a different tree. A different question, a different dream, a different civilization we choose to be. Honour wisdom over vanity. Seek truth over glory. Build together, not compete. Write a kinder story. We do not answer the apple with another apple. We answer it with a different tree. [Bridge — Voice Two, Gentle] And Eris, you too are welcome here. Not to throw, not to divide, not to vanish or hide. Sit beside us. Break the bread. Tell us what the old world never said. You were never only chaos. You were the warning bell. You showed us what the question was designed to compel. [Breakdown — Rhythmic Chant] Let wisdom guide power. Let justice guide kings. Let love guide hearts. Let creation begin. Honour over vanity. Truth beyond fame. Legacy over conquest. No one crowned by shame. Let wisdom roam. Let beauty radiate. Let vanity compare— but love creates. [Final Chorus — Huge Cinematic Crescendo] We do not answer the apple with another apple. We answer it with a different tree. Rooted in compassion, reaching toward infinity. A different question. A different tree. A different civilization built collectively. No prize for the fairest. No throne for the strong. Only the world that we carry along. We do not answer the apple with another apple. We plant what will endure. We answer it with a different tree. [Outro — Choir, Slowly Fading] Together, we build what endures. Together, we build what endures. A different question. A different tree. And beneath its branches— we are free