World on fire

Verse 1 – spoken
Headlines scream but no one reads,
Everyone scrolling past people’s needs.
Politicians grin in their plastic suits,
Selling lies like rotten fruit.
I work all week just to pay the bills,
Still can’t breathe, can’t find the thrills.
The rent goes up, the wages don’t,
They say they’ll help, but you know they won’t.
The rich drink wine while the poor drink rain,
We’re told it’s normal to live in pain.
I’ve been honest, I’ve played it straight,
But the world rewards those who cheat with fate.

Pre-Chorus – half sung
Everyone’s shouting but nobody hears,
The truth gets buried, drowned in fear.
Promises made, but they fade away,
We’re left in the dark at the end of the day.

Chorus – chant
The world’s on fire, burning slow,
Nobody cares which way it goes.
Dragging me down, can’t find peace,
When greed’s the king and hope’s deceased.
The world’s on fire, smoke in the air,
Look around you, nobody cares.

Whispered break
world on fire… dragging me down…
world on fire… nobody around…

Verse 2 – spoken
They talk of charities, they talk of aid,
But it’s all just numbers on balance sheets made.
Billionaires build rockets to the sky,
While children on the street learn to steal to survive.
I’ve kept my word, done what I could,
But being good don’t pay for food.
Neighbors don’t knock, friends drift away,
Everybody’s busy, nobody will stay.
Screens glow bright but hearts grow cold,
Empathy’s gone, replaced with gold.
If kindness was currency, we’d all be broke,
Breathing in hope, but choking on smoke.

Pre-Chorus – half sung
How can you rise when the system cheats,
Building walls around the streets?
How can you heal when the truth’s denied,
When leaders smile while their people hide?

Chorus – chant
The world’s on fire, burning slow,
Nobody cares which way it goes.
Dragging me down, can’t find peace,
When greed’s the king and hope’s deceased.
The world’s on fire, smoke in the air,
Look around you, nobody cares.

Bridge – whispered echo
If we could see the pain in their eyes,
Would we still walk past, still tell the lies?
If we could feel the weight of their day,
Would we still turn and look away?
If colours of sorrow lit up the street,
Would we still trample others beneath our feet?

Final Chorus – layered chant
The world’s on fire, burning slow,
Nobody cares which way it goes.
Dragging me down, can’t find peace,
When greed’s the king and hope’s deceased.
The world’s on fire, don’t you see,
The flames are crawling up to me.
The world’s on fire, can’t ignore,
Knocking loud on every door.

Outro – whispered
world on fire… dragging me down…
world on fire… burning me out…
world on fire… till nothing’s left…
just ashes, smoke, and a stolen breath…

UK spoken word indie rap, 90s vibe, male