Black dust on the collar, heat in the ribs,
I came this far — I’m not folding here.

Whole lotta pressure in a steel-toe stride,
Crowd full of doubt, but I still walked by.
Rain hit hard, but it never hit clean,
Left a few marks where the weak spots been.
Jaw set low with a spark in the throat,
I don’t say much when the stakes get close.
Back full of miles, eyes cut sharp,
I learned how to live with a storm in the dark.

Let it come heavy.
Let it come fast.
Some of us don’t bend —
we answer back.

When the wall shakes, I step forward.
When the fire breaks, I get louder.
I got too much grit in my bloodline,
too much night in me to scare easy.
Call it faith, call it nerve, call it stubborn —
saints don’t flinch when the sky gets ugly.

I seen hard luck dressed up nice,
Seen fear wear truth like a cheap disguise.
Still stood tall when the floor dropped out,
Still kept swingin’ when the room went loud.
Red light flash on the side of my face,
Made me look meaner than I felt that day.
But I held that line with a live-wire calm,
Like a cracked old bell still ringin’ strong.

Let it come heavy.
Let it come fast.
Some of us don’t bend —
we answer back.

When the wall shakes, I step forward.
When the fire breaks, I get louder.
I got too much grit in my bloodline,
too much night in me to scare easy.
Call it faith, call it nerve, call it stubborn —
saints don’t flinch when the sky gets ugly.

No retreat line.
No clean exit.
Just boots in the sparks
and a pulse that won’t quit.
If it wants my name,
let it say it straight.
I been face-to-face with worse
and I still gained weight.

When the wall shakes, I step forward.
When the fire breaks, I get louder.
Got a hard-made soul and a long memory,
and the dark don’t get to define me.
Call it faith, call it nerve, call it stubborn —
saints don’t flinch when the sky gets ugly.
No, I don’t back down when the sky gets ugly.

Black dust on the collar, heat in the ribs...
Still here. Still mean. Still standing in it.