Lyrics by Elizabeth Machado

Verse 1

I grew up thinking love was whatever crumbs they'd throw,
Beggin' for a place in a family built on rot below.
They called me "not authentic," like they owned the name I breathe,
But every one of them was hiding sins tucked up their sleeves.
They preached like saints while drownin' in their own disgrace,
Pointin' at my mother just to cover up their face.
Whole damn tree infected, roots twisted in deceit,
Protectin' predators in silence while they dragged us through the heat.

Pre-Hook

You said you "don't have room for me"...
Funny, I never asked to fit in your hypocrisy.
You built your world on secrets, on denial, on pretend,
But I'm the truth you can't outrun, the storm you can't defend

Hook

I'm not that quiet little child you tried to bury in your shame,
I'm the thunder in the distance now, shakin' every name.
You never stole my power, you just muted me for years,
Now every word I speak exposes everything you fear.
Feel this... every crack, every quake when I rise,
I'm the mirror you avoid because it shows your own disguise.

Verse 2

You judged me from your towers made of broken vows and lies,
Actin' holy while your household burned behind your eyes.
Cheatin', beatin', breakin', but still talkin' like you're pure,
Throwin' stones at my mother like your own mess was secure.
You said you didn't have space...
But I was never beggin' for a place.
I needed you back then, when my voice was small and thin,
But now I stand unshaken, and I won't let you back in.

Bridge

I'm done carryin' burdens that were never mine to hold,
Done swallowin' stories that were twisted, bought, and sold.
My future won't inherit what your silence tried to teach,
I'm breakin' every cycle you kept just out of reach.

Final Hook

I'm not that quiet little child you tried to bury in your shame,
I'm the thunder in the distance now, shakin' every name.
You never stole my power, you just muted me for years,
Now every word I speak exposes everything you fear.
Feel this... every crack, every quake when I rise,
I'm the mirror you avoid because it shows your own disguise..

It shows your own disguise....

Verse 1

I walked through the valley where the cold winds roam,
Where whispers tried to claim me, tried to carve my soul.
But the fire in my spirit started breaking through the stone,
And the light inside my chest said, “You are never alone.”

Pre?Chorus

I felt the chains tremble…
I felt the darkness bend…
Every echo of fear dissolved
When I chose to ascend.

Chorus

I rise against the shadow,
I stand in holy flame.
No fear, no curse, no darkness
Will ever hold my name.
My heartbeat is a weapon,
My spirit is the drum.
I rise against the shadow—
The war is already won.

Verse 2

I saw the storm gather, but it bowed before my feet.
Thunder tried to shake me, but my pulse refused defeat.
Every lie that tried to bind me shattered in the heat,
And the truth roared through my bones: “Your victory is complete.”

Bridge (Chanting)

In the silence…
Drums beneath my skin…
Light breaks through the ashes…
I rise again… again…

Final Chorus

I rise against the shadow,
My soul refuses chains.
The darkness has no kingdom
Where my spirit still remains.
My heartbeat is a warning,
My courage is the sun.
I rise against the shadow—

The war is already won.

Verse 1 – Soft, Smoky, Low Register

Got the news on my doorstep,
Another child gone too soon.
Mama crying on the concrete,
Her tears fall like a broken tune.
And the world keeps on turning,
But it's spinning out of tune.

Verse 2

People running from their homeland,
Chasing hope across the sea.
But the borders feel like shackles
Where freedom's just a dream.
And they're treated like they're nothing,
When they're just trying to breathe.

Pre?Chorus
I hear the voices in the distance,
I feel the sorrow in the wind.
Every headline cuts me open,
Like the blues beneath my skin.

Chorus

Oh this world's on fire,
And the flames don't ever sleep.
Families torn to pieces,
And the wounds go far too deep.
I'm singing for the broken,
For the ones the world won't see.
Lord, these blues keep calling,
'Cause the pain won't set us free.

Verse 3 – Storytelling Tone

Cuba's crying for tomorrow,
But tomorrow never stays.
People praying for a sunrise
That ain't blocked by barricades.
And the young ones grow up learning
How to fight before they play.

Verse 4

War drums shaking every border,
Thunder rolling through the sand.
Children hiding in the shadows,
Holding tight to trembling hands.
And the world keeps writing stories
That no heart can understand.

Pre?Chorus
I hear the echoes of the fallen,
I feel the weight of every name.
And I'm singing through the sorrow,
'Cause the truth still feels the same.

Chorus

Oh this world's on fire,
And the flames don't ever sleep.
Families torn to pieces,
And the wounds go far too deep.
I'm singing for the broken,
For the ones the world won't see.
Lord, these blues keep calling,
'Cause the pain won't set us free.

Bridge

If love could be a river,
I'd let it wash the ashes clean.
But the water's running muddy,
And the hurt runs in between.
Still I'm standing with my guitar,
Trying to heal what can't be seen.

Final Chorus
Yeah this world's on fire,
And the flames burn endlessly. But I'll keep singing truth now,
'Til the truth sets someone free.
For the lost and for the weary,
For the souls who still believe...
These blues are for the broken,
And the broken live in me.