Rough Road

[Intro – Gritty & Soulful, Spoken or Sung]

It’s a real rough road ahead of us now… (ahead of us now)
But I can’t give my soul—
I ain’t backing down (I ain’t backing down)
Noooo…

[Verse – Real Talk Flow, Rhythmic Delivery]
It’s a real rough road, but I’m rock steady,
Took over on my own terms—ain’t nobody let me,
Everybody left me, but I ain’t ’bout to bail,
Put in way too much work—I ain’t ’bout to fail,

My go-get-it is radical, my strategy is tactical,
Without music, I ain’t Bret—just doin’ what I have to do,
Flowin’ on a JNN, plural with the magical,
This track, that track—if you were me, I’m mad at you,

Ain’t a bump in the road that could stop my go,
I don’t back down, even though the edge gets close,
I just coast it out, maybe turn my CD down—
We made it… don’t know how… but don’t look now,

[chorus]
It’s a real rough road,
Ahead of us now (ahead of us now)
But I can’t give my soul,
I ain’t backing down (I ain’t backing down)
Nooooo…
I went cold—
But I’m warming up now (I’m warming up now)
Got my feet on the ground,
I’m standing up proud!
I ain’t backing down—
(I ain’t backing down)
Nooooo…

[Bridge – Smooth Singing-Rap Blend]

It got cold… and I was warming up slow,
Had to ride that road where nobody would go,
They left, I stayed—kept movin’ through pain,
Now I’m feet on the ground with heat in my veins.

[Hook – Call & Response Style, Final Anthem]

[Lead]: It’s a real rough road,
[Crowd]: Ahead of us now (ahead of us now)

[Lead]: But I can’t give my soul,
[Crowd]: I ain’t backing down (I ain’t backing down)

[All together] : Nooooo…

[Lead]: I went cold—
[Crowd]: But I’m warming up now (I’m warming up now)

[Lead]: Got my feet on the ground,
[Crowd]: I’m standing up proud!

[Lead]: I ain’t backing down—
[Crowd]: (I ain’t backing down)

[All together]: Nooooo…

[Outro – Fade Out, Reflective Power]

Yeah, we made it through the fire…
Still standin’…
Ain’t backing down.
Never did.
Never will.

[Fadeout with instrumental or loop “softly into silence] 

(I ain’t backing down)

Trap, male vocals