Gravel in My Throat

[Verse 1]
Woke up to the same four walls
Peeling paint and my missed calls
Mama in the kitchen with the late bills
Actin' like her hands ain't shake still
I was sixteen, watchin' grown folk break
Tryna hold the whole house, backbone ache
Teachers said “you smart, girl, stay in your lane”
But my lane full of cracks and it smell like pain
[Chorus]
Life hit hard and it don't say sorry
I got scars that don't fit in a story
Everybody talk like they know my road
But they don't feel the weight that I haul alone
Life hit hard, yeah, it swing like that
If I fall down, I still swing right back
Heart on fire in a worn-out coat
Little girl with gravel in her throat (yeah)
[Verse 2]
Scrollin' on my phone, see the rich kids flex
Same age, different world, different kind of stress
I been baggin' up shifts, cheap shoes, sore feet
Still they wanna judge me from the front-row seat
Dad left a note, said “I gotta heal too”
Guess healing mean vanish when the rent past due
So I learned how to smile with a locked jaw
Talk soft, walk hard, hold my own flaws
[Chorus]
Life hit hard and it don't say sorry
I got scars that don't fit in a story
Everybody talk like they know my road
But they don't feel the weight that I haul alone
Life hit hard, yeah, it swing like that
If I fall down, I still swing right back
Heart on fire in a worn-out coat
Little girl with gravel in her throat (oh)
[Bridge]
They say “stay strong” like it's easy to do
When the lights go off and it's just you
Talkin' to the ceiling, tryna keep hope close
Prayin' that the hurt don't turn me cold
[Chorus]
Life hit hard and it don't say sorry
I got scars that don't fit in a story
Everybody talk like they know my road
But they don't feel the weight that I haul alone
Life hit hard, yeah, it swing like that
If I fall down, I still swing right back
Heart on fire in a worn-out coat
Just a girl still fightin' through the smoke (yeah)
Little girl with gravel in her throat

rap, Moody boom-bap with layered female vocals; verses ride a swung, dusty drum groove over mellow piano stabs and deep bass. Hook widens with airy harmonies, subtle choir pads, and a slightly brighter snare. Final chorus adds ad-libs and a filtered beat drop for a raw, confessional climax.