Intro:
(Ethereal synths, muffled 808s, vinyl crackle)
Yeah... STSPanda
When it all fades away...
What's left?
Verse 1:
When the smoke clears and the bottles hit the floor
When the high gone and I ain't numb no more
Face to face with who I am without the medicine
Phoenix panda in the mirror where a ghost was settling
3 AM clarity, no more toxic in my veins
See the damage that I did, feel the weight of all the pain
But I'm breathing, I'm still breathing
Heart still beating, I'm still feeling
Hook:
When the smoke clears, when the smoke clears
I can finally see through all these wasted years
When the smoke clears, when the smoke clears
Phoenix rising up despite my fears
(I'm still here, I'm still here)
When the smoke clears
(I'm still here, I'm still here)
Verse 2:
Mama's voice on my voicemail, couldn't call her back
Too ashamed of what I'd become, walking heart attack
Dealer's number in my phone like a loaded gun
Delete, restore, delete again - the war ain't ever done
But when the smoke clears I can see the little wins
Every day above ground is where recovery begins
STS soldiers know the struggle, know the fight is real
We just tryna stay alive, tryna remember how to feel
Hook:
When the smoke clears, when the smoke clears
I can finally see through all these wasted years
When the smoke clears, when the smoke clears
Phoenix rising up despite my fears
(I'm still here, I'm still here)
When the smoke clears
(I'm still here, I'm still here)
Verse 3:
Lost my girl, lost my job, lost my self-respect
But when the smoke clears, I see what I got left
Got my heartbeat, got my voice, got another day
Got these scars that tell a story 'bout the price I had to pay
Writing letters to the ones who didn't make it out
Jason's mama still be calling just to talk about
How her boy ain't coming back but I'm still here breathing
That's a weight I carry daily but it keeps me believing
Bridge:
(Beat strips down to just bass and hi-hats)
They say once an addict, always an addict
But I say once you're phoenix, you can rise above the static
Every day the smoke gets thinner
Every day I see a little clearer
STSPanda...
Final Hook:
When the smoke clears, when the smoke clears
We can finally see through all these wasted years
When the smoke clears, when the smoke clears
Phoenix rising up, done with all the tears
(We still here, we still here)
When the smoke clears
(We still here, we still here)
After everything...
Outro:
(Fading synths with heartbeat sound)
When the smoke clears...
All that's left is who we really are
Phoenix pandas, battle scars
Still here...
Still here...
Phoenix season...