Lyrics
[Verse 1] I came in with my name half-folded, rain on my cuffs and a bus pass token. The corner store man said, “You good?” I said, “I’m learning how to be the wood.” My auntie taught me to save my breath, to pass the plate, to respect that thread. Kids on the stoop with a cardboard crown, we build up joy from the ground up now. [Pre-Chorus] And if the room gets low, we make a little room. One hand on my shoulder, one drum in the bloom. [Chorus] Take it to the block Take it to the block We all got a song We all got a rock Take it to the block Take it to the block I give you my light You give me back rock [Dedication 1] For the woman at the laundromat, folding stars in a plastic bag. For the kid with the chipped-up shoe, still running like the sky belongs to you. For the man on the bench who nods, for the nurse with the second job. For the ones who stayed through the flood, you kept this whole town made of love. [Verse 2] We used to talk on the fire escape, passing dreams in a paper plate. Rhodes chords hanging in the air, like somebody saying, “Stay right there.” I seen hard days try to eat the light, seen tired eyes turn gold at night. But when the circle starts to close, every small voice helps it grow. [Pre-Chorus] So lean on the sound, let your worry unwind. There’s a little bit of mercy in the timing tonight. [Chorus] Take it to the block Take it to the block We all got a song We all got a rock Take it to the block Take it to the block I give you my light You give me back rock [Dedication 2] For the cook in the back room heat, for the teacher with the worn-out feet. For the elder with the steady grin, who knows exactly where we begin. For the choir in the folding chairs, for the neighbor who repairs, repairs. For the hands that keep this place, I sing your name in a gentle space. [Bridge] And if my voice shakes a little, let it shake. That’s just the truth moving through the ache. We were not made to stand alone, we were made to carry home. When the night leans hard and long, I hear our breathing turn to song. [Dedication 3] For the ones who left and came back round, for the seeds in the busted ground. For the shy ones finding flame, I say your love, I say your name. [Final Chorus] Take it to the block Take it to the block We all got a song We all got a rock Take it to the block Take it to the block I give you my light You give me back rock Take it to the block Take it to the block Hands up, hearts open We hold each other up
