Verse 1] The Cleveland mud is thick, but his words were thicker
Grandpa sat me down, said, "Son, don't let your soul grow bitter."
He had silver in his hair and a gospel in his stride
Taught me how to hold my head when there’s nowhere left to hide.
He said, "The map is in the scars, and the compass is the truth,
Don't waste the wisdom of the old on the fire of your youth."
[Pre-Chorus] Now I’m standing at the edge where the blue meets the gray
Feeling the weight of the words he used to say:
"A man can’t conquer the ocean, no matter how he tries,
Unless he’s got the guts to say his 'shoreline' goodbyes."
[Chorus] I lost sight of the shore to find the man I am today
I traded all my sorrows just to hear the Spirit say:
"It’s a long way down, but it’s a higher way up."
I’ve been drinking the salt from a broken cup.
These are the trials, these are the truths
I bled through the years just to give 'em to you.
[Verse 2] Then the sky turned black on a Tuesday night
A senseless lead rain took my brother from the light.
I screamed at the heavens 'til my throat was raw and red
Counting all the milestones that he’d never get to tread.
And before the dirt could settle, before I found my feet
The Will of Allah called my Mother to the golden street.
She didn't fight the tide, she just closed her tired eyes
Leaving me the captain of a ship of "whys."
[Bridge] (Music shifts to a heavy Blues-Rock breakdown)
I did the time so you don't have to do the bid!
I carried the mountain so you could see what I hid!
My story ain't a tragedy, it’s the blueprint to the win
You don't have to drown in the places I've been!
Look at my mother... look at my brother...
It was the Will of the One, there is no other!
[Guitar Solo] (A crying, distorted blues solo that feels like a release of all the pent-up grief.)
[Chorus] Yeah, I lost sight of the shore to find the man I am today
I’m grateful for the trials that washed the dirt away.
It was a long way down, but a higher way up
I’m still drinking deep from a Holy cup.
These are the trials, these are the truths
I lived through the hell just to give 'em to you.
[Outro] I’m making you proud now, Grandpa.
I can’t see the land no more...
Just the deep blue...
Just the Will...
I did it for you.
(Fade out with a final, soulful R&B hum)
Why this works for your vision:
• The Metaphor: Using your quote about the "shoreline" as the centerpiece of the chorus gives the song its "Grammy" hook—it's poetic and universal.
• The Rawness: Mentioning your brother and mother by name/event grounds the song in real, relatable pain.
• The Message: It shifts from a "sad song" to a "guidebook," which is exactly what you wanted: I done it for you so you don’t have to.
