7 years old ( don't post )

(Soft acoustic guitar with warm piano chords. Slow emotional male vocals with light harmony underneath. Beat slowly fades in with deep bass and smooth drums.)

Once I was seven years old, my mama told me

“Go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely”

Once I was seven years old

(Melodic rap flow mixed with sung lines. Country guitar stays steady while R&B background vocals create warmth.)

It was a big, big world, but we thought we were giants

Running through the nights, always living so defiant

Pushing one another to the edge, learning faster

Trying to survive while chasing something after

By eleven years old we were breaking every limit

Burning through the nights, young hearts caught in the spirit

Never had the money, so we dreamed a little bigger

Every single day we tried to build a stronger picture

(Drums pull back slightly. Emotional vocals rise with layered harmonies.)

Once I was eleven years old, my daddy told me

“Find somebody real or you’ll be lonely”

Once I was eleven years old

(Full instrumental hits with emotional energy. Strong singalong feeling with smooth country and R&B blend.)

I always had dreams bigger than the town around me

Started writing songs hoping someday they would find me

Glory never moved me like the people standing by me

Only those I truly love will ever stand beside me

(Smoother hip-hop rhythm with deeper emotional tone. Guitar and beat work together with soft vocal echoes.)

Once I was twenty years old, my story started moving

Late nights chasing hope while the whole world kept on turning

I only saw my goals, never focused on the failure

‘Cause even quiet voices sometimes grow into something greater

I kept my people close, the ones who never switched sides

Through every broken road and every long night drive

And if we ever part before the next sunrise

I hope someday again our souls will reunite

(Stripped-back instrumental with emotional delivery. Piano and steel guitar become more noticeable.)

Soon we’ll be thirty years old, still out here roaming

Trying to understand what keeps the fire glowing

Life keeps teaching lessons with every passing morning

Some stay by your side and some disappear without warning

(Big emotional finish with layered harmonies, stronger drums, and uplifting energy.)

Soon I’ll be sixty years old, wondering what mattered

Thinking of the moments after all the noise had scattered

Hoping all my children come around when nights get colder

Holding onto memories as my heart keeps growing older

Soon I’ll be sixty years old

Will the world feel warm beside me?

Soon I’ll be sixty years old

(Instrumentals slowly fade with soft humming vocals and acoustic guitar.)

Once I was seven years old, my mama told me

“Go make yourself some friends or you’ll be lonely”

Once I was seven years old