# Track 1 – *Cage of Pine* **Theme:** Difficult upbringing, silence, constraint, the first spark of rebellion **Tempo:** Slow, heavy, mournful → gradually building into a defiant, burning finale ### [Verse 1] These walls are thin and the winter blows through Father's hard hand, and a mother who knew That silence was safer, that keeping your head Could keep you from anger, could keep you from dread They tied up my hair, they tied down my tongue Said a girl should be quiet, obedient, young Keep your eyes on the table, your feet on the floor Don't ask why, don't ask what for I'd stare through the window at the pines bending low Dreaming of somewhere I never could go And wonder how far a wild heart could run When the road disappeared underneath the sun ### [Pre-Chorus] But something was moving beneath all that fear A whisper I'd buried was suddenly clear I didn't know where, I didn't know when But I knew I'd never be theirs again ### [Chorus] This cage is made of pine and fear Old wooden walls and a lifetime of tears But the wood is dry and the nails are loose And I've got nothing left to lose I'll tear it down, I'll break the chain I'll walk through the fire, I'll dance in the rain They can bury my name, they can call me a sin But they can't kill the fire burning under my skin I've been quiet for far too long Now hear me coming, hear me strong ### [Verse 2] I scrubbed those floors till my knuckles bled Sewed up the clothes and I made the beds While rivers ran wild in the dreams in my head And every night I counted the words left unsaid Then the preacher came knocking with his Bible and law Talking about duty, obedience and God Said, “A good girl's reward is to know her place” I looked straight through him and I watched his face I didn't say nothing, I didn't need to Some fires burn brighter when nobody sees you I had pennies hidden beneath the floorboard crack A little bit of freedom I was saving back ### [Pre-Chorus] Then one cold morning, before the sun rose I packed what I could in the clothes that I wore No letter, no blessing, no turning around Just the sound of my footsteps leaving that ground ### [Chorus] This cage is made of pine and fear Old wooden walls and a lifetime of tears But the wood is dry and the nails are loose And I've got nothing left to lose I'll tear it down, I'll break the chain I'll walk through the fire, I'll dance in the rain They can bury my name, they can call me a sin But they can't kill the fire burning under my skin I've been quiet for far too long Now hear me coming, hear me strong ### [Bridge – Building] I carried their voices beneath my coat Like stones in my pockets, like hands round my throat But every step further, their voices grew small Till I couldn't hear them at all And the pine trees whispered “Go…” The black road opened “Go…” And somewhere behind me I heard the old house groan ### [Final Chorus – Full Fire] This cage was made of pine and fear But I left those walls and I left them here Let the old wood crack, let the old roof fall I was never made for that cage at all I'll tear it down, I'll break the chain I'll carry the scars but I won't carry the shame They can bury the past, they can curse where I've been But they'll never put out the fire within I found my voice I found my name I walked out alive And I won't go back again ### [Outro – Quiet] Cage of pine… Fade in the rain… Fire in my bones… Calling my name… I took one step… Then another… And the road opened wide.
