Salt in the Soil

(Verse 1)

They built their houses out of promises

And painted gold on rotten beams

Said, “Work real hard and keep your head down”

While picking pockets in our dreams

There’s blood beneath the courthouse steps

And dust in every prayer we pray

They preach about a better world

Then sell it piece by piece away

(Pre-Chorus)

They say it’s just the way it goes

That the strong decide, the meek don’t know

But I’ve seen truth in calloused hands

And I don’t buy what they demand

(Chorus)

There’s salt in the soil, ash in the air

You don’t get rich without leaving scars somewhere

They drink the wine, we dig the graves

They call it order, we call it chains

You can hang your flag, you can preach your law

But a lie’s still a lie no matter how it’s drawn

You can crown your kings, you can poison the well

But the ground remembers

Yeah, the ground will tell

(Verse 2)

They taught us fear before they taught us names

Taught us who to blame, who not to trust

Said, “Keep your eyes on the enemy”

While they carved idols out of us

I’ve seen good men bend till they break

Just trying to keep their families fed

Funny how survival starts

Looking just like what they said

(Pre-Chorus)

They call it peace when we’re too tired to fight

Call it justice when it favors their side

But hunger has a longer tongue

And it’s learning how to sing

(Chorus)

There’s salt in the soil, ash in the air

You don’t get clean without getting blood somewhere

They write the songs, we pay the price

They call it faith, we call it dice

You can dress it up in holy words

But heaven don’t belong to the rich or the cruel

You can burn the books, you can ring the bell

But the ground remembers

Yeah, the ground will tell

(Bridge)

If silence is safety, I’ll take the blame

If truth is treason, remember my name

I’d rather stand with empty hands

Than kneel to thieves who call it land

(Break)

No choir sings for the forgotten

No statues built for the used

But every road they paved with lies

Is cracking underneath the truth

(Final Chorus)

There’s salt in the soil, fire in our chest

You can’t bury a spark when it won’t rest

They built their throne on borrowed bones

Now hear the sound of coming home

You can lock the doors, you can guard the gate

But you can’t stop time, and you can’t stop fate

When the earth gives way and the walls all fall

Don’t say you didn’t know it

The ground told us all