(Intro) [Instrumental: Gentle grand piano arpeggios, soft string pad swelling underneath. No drums yet.] (Verse 1) [Vocal: Soft, reflective] The nights were long, the bruises slow to fade, I lost some friends, I lost the plans I’d made. They tried to bend me, break me into shape, Shut every door, erase each small escape. My body wears the story written in each scar, But something in the center stayed exactly what we are. Down where no hand reaches, where no file can ever see, A single spark kept burning quietly in me. (Pre-Chorus) [Vocal: Growing stronger] It flickered in the darkness, almost dying in the storm, But every lie that hit me only fed its form. (Chorus) [Vocal: Full, soaring; drums and guitars enter] There is a fire that won’t go out, deep inside my chest, A light they couldn’t smother, though they did their best. They chained my hands, they wrote my fate in doubt, But still this stubborn little flame won’t go out. It keeps me standing when the world falls down, A hidden blaze beneath a battered crown. (Verse 2) [Vocal: More confident, still emotional] I’ve walked through cells and courtrooms, through hunger and through loss, I’ve watched them hang their halos on a rusted cross. I’ve seen how fear can turn a human into stone, Yet somehow in the rubble I’ve never been alone. ’Cause every time they pushed me, tried to make me kneel, The pattern grew more obvious, more painfully real. And once you see the structure of the cage you’re in, You can’t pretend it’s not there, can’t go back again. (Instrumental Interlude) [Instrumental: Emotional guitar lead over the chorus chords, strings rising behind, drums steady.] (Bridge) [Vocal: Quieter, intense, over reduced instrumentation (piano + soft strings)] I don’t expect a medal, or a crowd that sings my name, I don’t expect the sleepers to admit their shame. But somewhere in the future, when the dust has cleared the sky, Someone will recall that someone chose to question why. And if that’s all I leave here, one small resisting shout, Then it was worth the nights of doubt. (Chorus – Final) [Vocal: Maximum power, subtle choir behind] There is a fire that won’t go out, deep inside my chest, A light they couldn’t smother, though they did their best. They chained my hands, they wrote my fate in doubt, But still this stubborn little flame won’t go out. It keeps me standing when the world falls down, A hidden blaze beneath a battered crown. A fire they’ll never stamp out. (Outro) [Instrumental: Piano and strings resolve to a warm chord; guitars and drums fade. Last note held, slowly disappearing.] [Vocal: Soft, firm whisper] I’m still burning.
