[Intro — Bright synths and dembow beat] One smile, one word, Let the whole world be heard. [Verse 1] First day at the schoolhouse, backpack full of nervous notes, I couldn't find the right words and I barely knew the roads. A girl beside the doorway said a greeting I hadn't heard, Then she smiled and wrote it slowly, helped me sound out every word. At lunchtime seven classmates pulled their chairs around my seat, And each one had a different way to make a greeting sweet. [Pre-Chorus — Rising harmonies] It isn't about perfection, I can stumble and retry. When I care enough to listen, There's a welcome in my eyes. [Chorus — Explosive pop hook] A thousand ways to say hello, A thousand little ways to grow. Different words across the room, All can make a friendship bloom. A thousand ways to say hello, Let the kindness overflow. We can learn each other's names, And never need to sound the same. [Dance Break — 8 bars, reggaeton and synth brass] [Verse 2] We made a little chorus, every student wrote a line, Some used sounds I'd never spoken, some were already mine. We practiced with each other till the rhythm found a way, And performed it at assembly on a bright and breezy day. When another student joined us halfway through the following year, We pulled up one more chair and sang the song so they could hear. [Bridge — Percussion breakdown] Welcome isn't just a word, It's the time we take to learn. When a stranger finds a place, It's a gift we all return. [Final Chorus — Group vocals] A thousand ways to say hello, A thousand little ways to grow. Different words across the room, All can make a friendship bloom. A thousand ways to say hello, Let the kindness overflow. We can learn each other's names, And never need to sound the same. [Outro — Playful synth melody] I came in with a question, Now I know a dozen friends. The welcome that they gave me Is a song that never ends.
