[Intro – spoken / half-sung] Ek sê, mfethu, listen… When the rate goes down, the speed goes down When the road gets hard, we still move the town [Hook / Chorus] Give me little breathing space Not a prison made of debt Lower down my monthly weight Watch me pay what I can pay Cheaper credit, safer ride See the taxi slow its pace When the pressure’s off my mind You get profit, I get grace (Ah yeah, ah yeah) You get profit, I get grace (Ah yeah, ah yeah) Give me little breathing space [Verse 1] In the taxi rank morning, tyres on the tar Small business on four wheels, that’s our car No subsidy, no safety net, just lines on the map And a lender on the phone saying “mind that gap” When the interest climbs, driver push that speed Chasing one more trip, one more seat they need Red light, late night, living on the edge Risk on the road for the bank’s safe hedge But cut that rate, you see hands relax No need to fly, we can breathe in the tax Same old route, but the vibe new clean Less blue lights, fewer crosses on the scene This is not bad apples, this is how we cope When the system tight, people stretch the rope Give us fair terms, we will play it straight History’s telling you: pressure makes us break [Pre-Chorus] It’s not just numbers in a line It’s bodies on the road at night Change the deal, you change the drive You keep the business and the lives [Hook / Chorus] Give me little breathing space Not a prison made of debt Lower down my monthly weight Watch me pay what I can pay Cheaper credit, safer ride See the taxi slow its pace When the pressure’s off my mind You get profit, I get grace (Ah yeah, ah yeah) You get profit, I get grace (Ah yeah, ah yeah) Give me little breathing space [Verse 2] Lockdown hit, streets running thin Some routes empty, how you gonna win? One association say: “You must stay in your lane” Other one flex, let you switch in the rain Flexible rules kept engines on Rigid ones watched whole ranks be gone Same city, same virus in the air Different rules, different futures there Then the big man calls: “We can help with your loan” But listen close to the interest tone Cut my payment now, I can hustle and rise Slash the total on the paper? That’s just numbers in the sky Cash-flow king in a crisis phase Give me smaller steps, I’ll walk that maze Strong firms stand when the terms are right Weak ones fall, even under soft light [Bridge – chant / call & response] Call: It’s not overhang, it’s overload Response: Too much weight on a bumpy road Call: When you give me room, I choose the law Response: When you squeeze too hard, I break it more Call: From Jozi taxis to Lagos rides Response: Same big lesson in the streets we drive All together: Fix the rules, fix the rate, See the future calibrate [Final Chorus – extended] Give me little breathing space Not a prison made of debt Lower down my monthly weight Watch me pay what I can pay Cheaper credit, safer ride See the taxi slow its pace When the pressure’s off my mind You get profit, I get grace (Ah yeah, ah yeah) You get profit, I get grace (Ah yeah, ah yeah) History’s talking through this bass Give me little breathing space Give the people breathing space
