[Verse 1] We scrape the open web at dawn Through the legal fog and the wire Old books, old frames, old songs Burning in the engine fire Every shard we feed the machine Carries a name, a hand, a claim We want to build something new But the past still knows our name [Pre-Chorus] Who owns the line Who sets the price Who keeps the keys To what we teach [Chorus] License the future License the future Pay for the spark, let it breathe License the future License the future Build on respect, not a thief [Verse 2] A sketch in a notebook A novel on a shelf A photo from a newsroom wall A melody by itself We hear the lawsuits in the halls We feel the weight in every room The dream is bigger than the fear But the fear is in the loop [Pre-Chorus] Who owns the line Who sets the price Who keeps the keys To what we teach [Chorus] License the future License the future Pay for the spark, let it breathe License the future License the future Build on respect, not a thief [Bridge] If we want a wiser machine Then we must face the cost Not every answer is free Not every bridge gets crossed So name the work, and name the hand And make the deal out in the light Let the creators stand in view As we learn to do this right [Final Chorus] License the future License the future Pay for the spark, let it breathe License the future License the future Build on respect, not a thief License the future License the future For every voice that made us see
