BLACK CHRISTMAS ZYRA [Intro — Distant Church Bells, Haunting Piano, Whispered] Everybody loves a white Christmas. But nobody talks about the black ones. [Low Orchestral Strings Enter] The ones you survive. [Verse 1 — Low, Controlled Cinematic Rap] December twenty-four, the city dressed in gold, Every window tells a story that I wish somebody told. Little children by the fire, lovers underneath the tree, And a thousand empty spaces where a memory used to be. Got a ribbon on a present that I never got to give, Got a photograph reminding me of how we used to live. Everybody says be grateful, everybody says be bright, But you cannot wrap a broken heart in pretty Christmas lights. I put my lipstick on like armor, pull my jacket to my chin, Walk outside into the snowfall, let the frozen silence in. I don’t need another sermon ’bout the beauty of the season, Sometimes winter hurts like hell without a single fucking reason. [Pre-Chorus — Emotional Melodic Build, Rising Strings] And the bells keep ringing, While the world keeps singing. But somewhere underneath the snow, There’s a girl nobody knows. [Chorus — Powerful, Soaring Dark-Pop Vocals] It’s a black Christmas, Under silver skies. All the stars are shining, But there’s darkness in my eyes. It’s a black Christmas, And the snow falls down. I can hear a million voices, But I can’t make out a sound. Let the winter take the pieces, Let the midnight turn to dawn. Even in a black Christmas, I’m still holding on. [Post-Chorus — Cinematic Bass Drop, Haunting Vocal Layers] Oh-oh-oh, black Christmas, Cold December, broken wishes. Oh-oh-oh, through the night, I’m still burning underneath the ice. [Verse 2 — Fast, Emotionally Charged Double-Time Rap] Tick-tock, midnight, everybody’s celebrating, Got a hundred little memories that I’ve been suffocating. Every song upon the radio’s a picture from the past, Every ornament’s a reminder nothing beautiful can last. But I learned to carry sorrow without letting it define me, Learned that even in the darkness there’s a little light inside me. I can miss the ones I loved, I can mourn the things I lost, I can build a better future without hiding what it cost. Fast breath, cold chest, running through the snowfall, Got a thousand little reasons why I thought that I would free-fall. But I didn’t, no, I wouldn’t, kept my feet upon the ground, Even when the whole damn world was making such a joyful sound. Don’t you tell me I should smile, don’t you tell me how to heal, Don’t you dress my pain in glitter just to make it less than real. I can celebrate tomorrow, I can grieve for yesterday, And I don’t owe anybody pretty words to make it go away! [Pre-Chorus — Layered Female Vocals, Orchestral Crescendo] And the bells keep ringing, While the world keeps singing. But somewhere underneath the snow, There’s a girl beginning to glow. [Chorus — Full Cinematic Orchestral Trap] It’s a black Christmas, Under silver skies. All the stars are shining, But there’s darkness in my eyes. It’s a black Christmas, And the snow falls down. I can hear a million voices, But I can’t make out a sound. Let the winter take the pieces, Let the midnight turn to dawn. Even in a black Christmas, I’m still holding on. [Bridge — Piano Only, Intimate Spoken Vocals] You know what the hardest part is? Everybody expects you to be happy. Just because it’s Christmas. But some of us… We’re just trying to make it through December. [Pause — Whispered] And that’s enough. [Orchestral Strings Rise — Deep 808 Returns] [Final Rap — Fierce, Rapid-Fire, Triumphant] Black sky, white snow, still I keep on walking, Got a thousand little ghosts but I finally hear them talking. Every scar, every loss, every tear I never showed, Turned into a little strength that I can carry down the road. No, I’m not a perfect angel, not a Christmas fairy tale, I’m the girl who kept on fighting when the winter turned to hail. Let the church bells keep on ringing, let the frozen heavens shine, You can take away the magic, but you cannot take what’s mine! [Final Chorus — Explosive, Emotional Orchestral Finale] IT’S A BLACK CHRISTMAS! Under silver skies! All the stars are shining, But there’s fire in my eyes! IT’S A BLACK CHRISTMAS! And the snow falls down! I can hear a million voices, Now I’m rising through the sound! Let the winter take the pieces, Let the midnight turn to dawn. Even in a black Christmas, I’M STILL HOLDING ON! [Outro — Fading Piano, Distant Christmas Bells] Maybe next year will be different. Maybe it won’t. But I’ll be here. [Whispered] Merry Christmas… To everyone who’s just surviving tonight. (Zyra.)
