Under The Grit

(Verse 1)

Steel-toed boots hit the concrete floor,

Another dawn, another twelve hours more.

Back muscles screaming but he don’t break,

He’s built from choices most can’t make.

They see a man who gets the job done right,

Never guess the wars he fought at night.

He earned this life with blood and grit—

He’s living proof you don’t have to quit.

(Pre-Chorus)

Fire in the metal, pounding in his chest,

Every spark reminds him he survived the test.

(Chorus)

He’s under the grit, under the grind,

Carved out a body that finally feels like mine.

Working in shadows but standing in light—

A trans man built from the will to fight.

He don’t owe ‘em truth, don’t owe ‘em pain,

He’s the storm they never see coming again.

Yeah, he’s under the grit…

And he’s stronger than the world admits.

⸻

(Verse 2 — Personal Layer)

He keeps his binder folded in a drawer now,

Chest healed up, but he still whispers “wow.”

Sometimes he stares at the man in the glass,

Feels the ghost of the girl he had to pass.

He carries pride like a loaded drum,

Beats in his ribs where he came from.

Folks at work just slap his back,

They don’t know the courage he had to stack.

(Pre-Chorus)

He’s not afraid—just done explaining

Every scar from every cage he’s breaking.

(Chorus)

He’s under the grit, under the grind,

Every damn day redefining his spine.

Living his truth without saying a word—

Some stories don’t need to be heard.

He survived the edge, survived the fall,

Now he stands ten feet fuckin’ tall.

Yeah, he’s under the grit…

And he’s built for more than just “fit in.”

⸻

(Bridge — Heavy, Emotional Hit)

One day he might scream the truth out loud,

Rip the mask off, shock the crowd.

But for now he guards it, heart on lock,

’Cause peace is priceless on this clock-in clock.

He ain’t ashamed—he’s wise as hell,

He knows the world and how it sells.

⸻

(Final Chorus — Full Power)

Under the grit, under the grind,

He built a life that finally feels aligned.

He’s the quiet roar in a worksite storm,

A fire forged into human form.

He’s the truth in steel, the fight in flame,

A trans man with a goddamn claim.

Yeah, under the grit…

He’s unstoppable—

And he knows it.