[Intro – Filtered Vocal, Lo-Fi Guitar Loop Underneath]
(Filtered acoustic riff. Ambient static. Very raw.)
(spoken, like a confession)
“I’ve been counted out before…” (half beat)
“…but I kept the score.”
(guitar swell enters)
“Guess what?” (short pause)
“I’m still here.”
[Verse 1 – Dry Vocal, Gritty Tone]
(Simple acoustic + low-end hum)
I’ve been bruised in quiet rooms,
Talked down by suits and ties.
Told I’d never break the mold —
Guess I stopped asking why.
(1 beat pause)
I lost sleep chasing dreams
That looked better from afar.
But I wear every scar like armor now —
It’s proof of who we are.
[Pre-Chorus – Perc Drops Out, Vocal Builds with Bass Swell]
(Bass hum + palm-muted acoustic. No drums yet.)
No map. No crown.
Just a soul that won’t stay down.
You can throw the worst my way —
I’ve already seen that day.
[Chorus – Full Band Hits, Vocal Doubles]
(Full acoustic rhythm + light kick + harmony pad)
I’m still standing —
Through the fire, through the rain.
Every fall just carved my name.
You can try to shake my ground —
I don’t break, I just bend down.
Might’ve crawled…
But I came back swinging.
Still me.
Still standing.
(guitar slide + snare build trails off)
[Verse 2 – Vocal More Forward, Percussion Tightens]
(Brush snare + electric tremolo slides enter)
I’ve been whispered about in silence,
Laughed at when I walked away.
But they didn’t see the war I fought
To rise and choose to stay.
My bones hold stories no one reads —
But they made me who I am.
I’ll be the proof you can get knocked down…
And still learn how to stand.
[Pre-Chorus – Lifted Vocal, Slight Gospel Layer]
(Add harmony swell, floor tom pulse)
No fame. No script.
Just grit beneath my lips.
You can count me out tonight —
But come dawn… I’ll still fight.
[Chorus 2 – Bigger Swell, Full Harmony Added]
(Vocal grit rises, more air in each word)
I’m still standing —
With a fire they couldn’t steal.
With a spine they couldn’t kneel.
You can write me off, that’s fine —
But I was built for overtime.
I’ve been bruised…
But I came back singing.
Still me.
Still standing.
(beat trails off — acoustic and vocal alone)
[Bridge – Breakdown, Stripped to Voice + Guitar]
(Quiet. Minor key shift. Just voice + fingerpicked guitar)
I’ve heard every “no,”
Every doubt, every laugh.
But it’s funny how the ones who left
All look back.
I don’t need the crown.
Don’t need to win the war.
I just needed to prove —
I’m more.
[Final Chorus – Soaring Vocals, Band Fully In]
(Full band. Vocal lead + counter melodies. Let it rise.)
I’m still standing —
Not by luck or some disguise.
It’s the fight behind these eyes.
You can knock, you can shout —
But I won’t ever count me out.
Still breathing…
Still moving…
Still me.
Still standing.
[Outro – Acoustic Only, Spoken Trail Line]
(Guitar fade. Room tone. Maybe finger taps on wood.)
(soft spoken, near-whisper)
Yeah. Still standing.
PepperVice
