(Tempo: Slow and deliberate. Mood: Determined, reflective, and warm.)
(Verse 1)
(Piano enters softly, maybe a light shuffle on the drums)
They see the satin dress, they see the gentle hand
They think I'm easy clay, they think they understand.
They look upon the garden blooming on my sill,
But they don't know the mountain standing in my will.
I poured the sweet tea out, and smiled politely back,
While mapping out the battlefield along my own attack.
(Chorus)
(Bass and drums become fuller, maybe a soft, sustained organ chord)
Oh, I am Steel and Velvet, baby, soft on the sight,
I walk through the shadows, but I carry my own light.
This heart ain't just a harbor where the weak ships surrender,
It's a lighthouse in the storm, and it won't dim, remember.
I won't give up this road, I won't lay down this shield,
I'm a woman made of fire, and I refuse to yield.
(Verse 2)
(Guitar or Piano plays a simple, bluesy turnaround riff)
I've tasted dust and ashes, been knocked down to the ground,
Heard the silence after failure when no friendly sound was found.
They said, "It's time for resting, honey, let the strong men strive,"
But the engine in my spirit, well, it kept me driving.
I swept my own floor clean, polished up the broken glass,
And built a sturdier window for the sorrow to pass.
(Chorus)
(Power swells slightly, maybe a small brass hit or synth string fill)
Oh, I am Steel and Velvet, baby, soft on the sight,
I walk through the shadows, but I carry my own light.
This heart ain't just a harbor where the weak ships surrender,
It's a lighthouse in the storm, and it won't dim, remember.
I won't give up this road, I won't lay down this shield,
I'm a woman made of fire, and I refuse to yield.
(Bridge)
(Music simplifies, perhaps just bass, drums, and a slow, expressive piano chord progression, building tension)
They can tell me what the limits are, and draw their little line,
But I've got oceans in my spirit, and the rising tide is mine.
The clock is just a number, the calendar is fake,
'Cause every breath I'm breathing is a promise I will make.
And that promise is survival, honey... yeah, it’s survival...
(Outro)
(Slows down, emotional delivery. Lead vocal takes precedence)
So let the rain fall hard... (Guitar plays a slow, sustained bend)
Let the wind blow cold...
I got a story in my heart...
It's a story to be told.
No surrender, no surrender...
Just the rhythm of my soul.
(Fade out on sustained piano chord and brush cymbal hit.)
