[Intro] I was born in a village Tucked into the mountains near Nagasaki The clouds hung low, the world felt wide We were just children But we ruled it like warriors Our feet bare, our spirits high [Chorus] I was the smallest in the gang But the fiercest in every chase Grandfather would sit by the gate, Pipe in hand, watching He called me the smallest storm In a clear sky As we fought our endless battles [Verse 1] My father worked in the city Gone during the week, like most men So Grandfather stood where a father should He smelled of pipe tobacco and cedar Combed his hair with quiet care Stole soft glances at Grandmother When he thought we weren’t watching [Verse 2] He taught me how to wear a yukata How to walk tall, even when small How a man always wears a hat And holds his silence with strength He led me through the streets of Suhsaybo Showed me where the fish bite best And how peace can be found In a quiet breath [Chorus] He believed in me More than anyone ever did Enrolled me in my first dojo Stood in the back As I rose through the ranks When I earned my Rokyu He bowed, long and proud As if I had become something He always known I would be [Verse 3] Then the seasons shifted I started school And one day walking home The wind felt different Like something had been taken [Verse 4] At the door, my mother swept me up And Grandmother whispered Grandfather had gone to Heaven I shut my eyes, and heard his voice "Don’t cry for the ones who go before you. They are called, And they obey It is their way of protecting you still" [Bridge] I pressed my hands to my face But still he spoke "Be brave, little samurai Your battles are not done yet" [Verse 5] Now I am a father Far from the hills of Nagasaki Walking these streets of Kyoto With my son, Yoshi He holds my hand the way I held his Grandfathers We fish in quiet waters He started his first dojo last spring [Verse 6] I visit the shrine often And sometimes, I swear I smell pipe smoke Or feel a hand on my shoulder And I smile [Outro] One day, I will cross And he will greet me And I will bow, deeply Hoping he sees That I tried To live As the man he believed I could be
