(Tempo ~100 BPM, swung hip-hop/funk groove, hand drum layered with kick/snare, warm bassline, light keys + Indigenous flute accents) Intro (hand drum + vocal chant, group energy) (“Hey… hey…”) (Call-and-response chant building, airy flute echoes) Verse 1 (laid-back flow, conversational, bass + light drums) Sun coming up through a cracked blind shade Coffee on the stove, hear the rhythm it made Footsteps on the floor got a story to tell Every little sound like a familiar spell (Hand drum accents under lines) Grandmother’s voice in the back of my mind Saying take your time, don’t get lost in the grind Even when the road takes a turn you ain’t planned There’s a steady beat right under your hand Pre-Chorus (harmonies build, shaker added) Hear it in the wind when it moves through the trees Hear it in the drum, in the heart, in the breeze Every step forward, every memory Got a way of bringing you back to me Chorus (full groove, group vocals, chant feel) We move like that, yeah we carry it on (Call: “All my people!” Response: “Sing that song!”) From the roots so deep to the place we belong Feel it in the beat, keep it steady and strong (Ad-libs: “Hey!” “Yeah!”) Verse 2 (more rhythmic, playful phrasing, added percussion) Kids on the block got a laugh so loud Echo through the day, cut through any cloud Old stories told in a brand new way Every single word got a place to stay (Flute answers vocal lines) Step by step, yeah we find our lane Even through the hard, there’s a thread that remains Not everything heavy gotta weigh you down Sometimes it’s the rhythm that turns it around Pre-Chorus (bigger harmonies, rising energy) Feel it in your chest when the drumline calls Feel it when you stand, even if you fall Every little moment, every rise and stall Got a piece of light running through it all Chorus (bigger, layered vocals, call-and-response) We move like that, yeah we carry it on (Call/Response stronger) From the roots so deep to the place we belong Feel it in the beat, keep it steady and strong (Ad-libs: “Keep going!” “All day!”) Bridge (breakdown, hand drum + vocal chant, reflective) (Strip back to drum + voices) Hey… we remember, we hold on tight Through the long days and the quiet nights (Soft harmonies swell) Every step got a reason why Even low roads still lead you high Final Chorus (full band, joyful, extended) We move like that, yeah we carry it on (Call/Response, crowd energy) From the roots so deep to the place we belong Feel it in the beat, keep it steady and strong (Repeat with ad-libs: “Hey!” “Sing it!”) Outro (fade with chant + flute) (“Hey… hey…” echoing, flute trailing out)
