[intro. soft shakers + low drum heartbeat] Mmm Every journey starts under your own feet [verse 1. grounded flow, steady percussion] I was lookin for a river that carried me home Searchin for a voice that could carve my stone But the wind said quiet “your path is your own” And the earth beneath answered in a deeper tone Every step I skipped turned into a debt Every fear I fed became a silhouette Till I learned the truth that the elders kept You don’t rise at all if you haven’t wept [pre chorus. background chants building] If you want direction, walk your pace If you want a future, claim your space [chorus. layered vocals + global drums] “No one saves us but ourselves” It echoes in the dust, in the roots, in the wells If I want to stand, I gotta choose that stance If I want my life, I gotta take my chance Yeah the road don’t open unless I move free I’m the one I follow ’Cause the roots don’t run from me [verse 2. richer percussion, storytelling tone] I’ve carried my doubts like a bundle of stone Waitin for a guide to call me their own But a path ain’t owned by the ones you meet It’s carved by the rhythm underneath your feet Every mile I feared was a mirror inside Every detour taken was a place to hide Till I learned the horizon ain’t somethin you chase It grows from the courage that you cultivate [pre chorus. chants and handclaps rise] If I want strength, let the fire spark If I want healing, walk through the dark [chorus. wide harmonies + driving drums] “No one saves us but ourselves” It echoes in the dust, in the roots, in the wells If I want to stand, I gotta choose that stance If I want my life, I gotta take my chance Yeah the road don’t open unless I move free I’m the one I follow ’Cause the roots don’t run from me [bridge. call and response] Voice: Who clears the path? Chorus: The one who walks it. Voice: Who shapes the truth? Chorus: The one who talks it. Voice: Who holds the flame? Chorus: The one who sees. Voice: Who carries you? Chorus: Your own two knees. [final chorus. full ensemble, cinematic world-hip-hop lift] “No one saves us but ourselves” I breathe it as the old world rings its bells If I want to rise, I gotta plant that seed If I want my strength, I gotta let me lead Yeah the road grows wide when I let life be I’m the one I follow ’Cause the roots don’t run from me [outro. gentle kora strings fading] Roots don’t run Roots don’t run from me
