(Vinyl crackle, distant piano loop)
Yeah, keep it steady
It’s the third born, Teron
Just talking from the soul
For the ones we lost, for the ones we carry
Listen
Nine chairs around the table, but the room feels wide
I’m the third one in line, keeping the hurt inside
First son, but the journey felt like walking alone
Building a kingdom from seeds that my mother had sown
Those two older sisters, we grew in the same shade
But misunderstood in the foundation that we laid
I reached for the light, they looked at the floor
Searching for peace behind a locked family door
I chose the kindness, the open hand and the grace
Even when the world tried to slap it out of my face
They call it weakness, but I call it the steel
In the way that I listen and the way that I feel
Oh, the roots run deep in this broken tree
We lost the ones who taught us how to be free
Momma left a fire, Daddy left a name
Even through the grief, we’re burning the same flame
Love is the bridge, forgiveness the light
Keeping us together in the middle of the night
I see my brothers drifting, hoping they find their way
Cutting through the shadows of the mistakes of yesterday
Anita, you’re the rock, your resilience is the guide
Beverly, your heart is where the honesty hides
I’m holding the values, the lessons in the dirt
I’m turning the pressure into healing the hurt
People mistake my humbleness for a lack of a spine
But I’m the one standing when the stars don't align
I don’t want the anger, I don’t want the divide
I want us standing together, nowhere to hide
Nine hearts beating, from the same source of life
Cutting through the bitterness, cutting through the strife
Oh, the roots run deep in this broken tree
We lost the ones who taught us how to be free
Momma left a fire, Daddy left a name
Even through the grief, we’re burning the same flame
Love is the bridge, forgiveness the light
Keeping us together in the middle of the night
It’s heavy on the shoulders, but I carry the weight
I’m refusing to bow to the hands of fate
Forgiveness is the medicine, love is the law
I’m looking past the anger and I’m looking past the flaw
Yeah, for the ones we lost
For the family we’re still becoming
So keep the legacy steady, keep the spirit in bloom
I’m clearing the ego right out of the room
Third born, first son, but I’m nobody’s king
I’m just a man learning what the ancestors sing
Forgive the misunderstanding, forgive the delay
We’re walking this path in a different way
From nine to one, let the circle be strong
This is where we belong, this is where we belong
Oh, the roots run deep in this broken tree
We lost the ones who taught us how to be free
Momma left a fire, Daddy left a name
Even through the grief, we’re burning the same flame
Love is the bridge, forgiveness the light
Keeping us together in the middle of the night
Yeah
Keep it together
Anita, Beverly, brothers
We stay rooted
Just keep the love moving
For Momma
For Dad
(Fades out with vinyl crackle)