**[Verse 1]** Woke up, city still coughing up smoke, every block got a story, every scar got a quote. Used to drown in the pressure, now I carry the weight, had my back on the pavement, now I'm staring at fate. Sirens sing lullabies, sleep never came, every loss left a mark, every mark left a flame. Had a crown made of fractures, wore it proud on my head, they were writing my obituary, I rewrote it instead. See, pain was a teacher, but the lessons were rough, every punch to the jaw said I wasn't enough. Now I'm standing here laughing at the ghosts in the dark, 'cause the fire they started only sharpened the spark. **[Chorus]** Brighter days on the horizon, I can see 'em through the violence. All the scars became reminders, all the ashes built survivors. Brighter days, I hear 'em calling, even when the rain is falling. Lost myself a hundred times, still came back and drew the line. **[Verse 2]** No mansion, no chains, no celebrity dreams, just a kid with a vision and a head full of schemes. Saw an old man grin while the world fell apart, said, "The strongest foundations get built in the dark." So I carried that thought through the mud and the doubt, through the nights I was broke and the lights all went out. Everybody loves winners, nobody loves the climb, but the struggle wrote the verses now they're quoting the lines. I got roots in the dirt, got hope in my veins, got a war in my mind but I'm breaking the chains. Every setback became another brick in the road, now I'm stronger from the weight than I was from the gold. **[Bridge]** Let it rain, let it flood, let the sky cave in, I've been fighting my demons, now they're paper-thin. Made peace with the scars, made art from the ache, every crack in the armor was a path I could take. **[Final Chorus]** Brighter days, now they're here, see 'em crystal clear. No disguise, no fear, only growth from the years. Brighter days, watch me rise, fire living in my eyes. Can't erase what I survived, that's the reason I'm alive.
