[Intro – whispered, woozy, vinyl crackle] Down here it's quiet down here it's warm the voice says stay the voice says drown [Verse 1 – smoky gravelly contralto, restrained, floating] Pressure on my ribs like a hand I didn't invite Every thought a stone, every stone tied tight The dark talks gentle, says the surface is a lie Says the air's not worth the climb, just close your eyes [Pre-chorus – building, tension rising] But I can see it — pale and thin that line of light I'm reaching in my lungs are screaming, kick again kick — again — [Chorus – powerful, belted, full and forceful, distorted drop] I AM NOT STAYING DOWN not in this hum, not in this drown break the surface, tear the seam the cold air rips me clean I AM NOT STAYING DOWN [Verse 2 – back to smoky gravelly contralto, woozy, half-time] The voice gets clever when it knows it's losing grip wears my own mouth, talks me out of every step but I've been here before, I know the trick it plays it only owns the dark — so I'm done living grey [Pre-chorus – more urgent] The light's not thin now, it's a flood I taste the salt, I taste the blood one more push against the weight break — the — gate — [Chorus – powerful, belted, soaring and forceful, full band hits] I AM NOT STAYING DOWN not in this hum, not in this drown break the surface, tear the seam the cold air rips me clean I AM NOT STAYING DOWN [Bridge – drop to near silence, breath only, slow build] (breathe) first breath... burns (breathe) first breath... turns the cold to gold, the dark to dawn I was never the drowning — I was the storm [Final chorus – second payoff, biggest, belted with full conviction, walls of sound] I AM NOT STAYING DOWN I am the surface, I am the sound the light don't save me — I AM the light I claw the dark and I take the sky I AM — NOT — STAYING — DOWN [Outro – woozy, fading, smoky contralto, vinyl crackle returns] free... air... free... and gone
