[Intro]
Street fumes
Cold lungs
Side doors
Sharp tongues
[Verse 1]
Back block, brick sweat
Oil stain, steel step
Eyes on every rusted gate
Whole hood speak in silhouettes
Brown bag, black van
Stray dogs track the hand
Graffiti read like coded plans
Every tag another clan
Cut lights, one cough
Train scream way off
Someone chant under their breath
Name of something carved off
[Chorus]
Forbidden tongues in the alley at one
Saying things that could never be sung
If you hear it, you can’t outrun
Once it’s in your head, in your head, you done
Forbidden tongues, concrete in my lungs
Circle in the dark where the old heads drum
Whispered words taste copper on my gums
Once you speak it back, speak it back, you done
[Verse 2]
Campfire in a trash can
Blue flame, cracked hands
Old head draw a crooked mark
Chalk line where the kids can’t stand
Phone dead, screen black
Still feel eyes on my back
Whole sky tilt, go slack
Wind spell peel the paint back
[low vocal register] “Say it”
Voice come thin, serrated
My own echo turn against me
Repeat what I never stated
[Chorus]