TITLE: TWENTY-FIVE CENTS A DAY
eh…eh…eh…chai…mmh…listen…listen…
Intro – Spoken (No Beat)
Two brothers…same blood…same shadow…same dust on their feet…before play, all they knew was work(chai…it hurts…)twenty-five cents a day…it was sweat, not a gift hmm…hmm…
Verse 1
Two brothers tight like a fistwherever one went, the other followedstill just kids, but hunger stood talllife didn’t wait for them to grow(chaiii…mmh…)they worked for foreign neighborstrimming grass, cleaning yards, carrying loadsunder the burning sunbut counting every dime along the road eh eh…focus…twenty-five cents until sunsetthey saved it, hid it carefullyunder clothes, under bedslike prayers they couldn’t speak ohhh…the ancestors were watching…shoes had holes, clothes were fadingbut hope refused to diethey saved every centbelieving one day they would try mmh…one day…
Twenty-five cents a day!(eh!eh!)one year of sweat!(chai!)little children working like men!(hmm!)no respect was given!(na wa o!)twenty-five cents a day!(eh!eh!)dreams inside an envelope!haaa!
Verse 2
The neighbors packed their bagslast journey, final goodbyethey said this is your moneywe are not coming back again(hmm…a blessing arriving…)they handed the boys the envelopeheavier than gold to the heartthe two brothers laughedplanning shoes, planning clothes, planning a beginning eh eh eh…joy!for once life smiled a littlefor once the road was clearfor once suffering paused(chai…hope felt sweet…
Break – Spoken
Then…HE appeared
Bring the moneyhis voice cold like night rainI raised youas if love were a debt na lie…no questions allowedno words, no appealauthority wore a crownwhile childhood knelt little hands left emptyeyes learned pain too earlythat day something brokewith no sound, but deadly chai…it cut deep…
Chorus – Darker
Twenty-five cents a day!(eh!)one year disappeared!(ha!)they called it survivalbut it was pure robbery!(na wa o!)twenty-five cents a day!(eh!)no tears even fell!some pain doesn’t cryit just locks inside!hmm…locked in the chest…
Power is not fatherhood!(eh!)fear is not care!(chai!)you don’t bring a child into the worldthen charge them for air!(haaa!)the ancestors are watching! hmm!history is being writtensome sins do not diethey wait!eh eh…
Reflection
Now they have grownwith children of their ownstill talking about that daylike a story the bones refuse to release hmm…strong memory…they watch small handscounting coins with pridetheir words say this is your sweati will never touch itit is your right(yes!break the chain!)the cycle is brokenthe vow is setthey will not repeatwhat wounded their chestseh…freedom…
Final Chorus – Defiant
Twenty-five cents a day!(eh!eh!)but the lesson lasted long!(chai!)if you bring a child into lifethat is your duty to stand strong!(amen!)twenty-five cents a day!(eh!)we still remember it!not because of the moneybut because of the trust that was killed! hmmm…never forget…
Outro – Whisper/Chant
Life is not fair…(eh…)but some unfairness is a choice(two brothers still walking toget
