Sink Or Swim

Verse 1
You can tie these boots to a cinder block stone
Drop me off where that dark water rolls
Watch me sink, think I’m gone for good
But you don’t know me like you think you should

Verse 2
I done felt that weight pullin’ on my chest
Cold black water tryin’ to lay me to rest
But there’s a fire down deep you can’t drown out
Comes up burnin’ when the air runs out

Pre-Chorus
Every time I fade to black
Something in me pulls me back

Chorus (slow, powerful)
You can throw me in the river, watch me go under
But I come back breathin’, heart beatin’ like thunder
Try to shut me down, leave me in the dust
But I come back swingin’, every time you bust
You get your greenbacks from your shake and bake
Mine come hard from the give and take
Yeah I bend, but I don’t break, I don’t quit
No matter what you do… I still rise from it

Verse 3
You can slam that door, leave me in the dark
Try to kill my name, try to steal my spark
I’ve been cast aside, I’ve been counted out
That’s where I learned what I’m about

Pre-Chorus
Every scar just lights a flame
Every loss rewrites my name

Chorus
You can throw me in the river, watch me go under
But I come back breathin’, heart beatin’ like thunder
Try to shut me down, leave me in the dust
But I come back swingin’, every time you bust
You get your greenbacks from your shake and bake
Mine come hard from the give and take
Yeah I bend, but I don’t break, I don’t quit
No matter what you do… I still rise from it

Bridge (stripped, emotional)
I been down so low I shook hands with the bottom
Devil said “stay,” but I told him “I got ‘em”
Pain tried to claim me, chains tried to lock me
But there ain’t no grave deep enough to stop me

Final Chorus (big, gospel lift)
You can throw me in the river, watch me go under
I’ll come back breathin’, louder than thunder
Try to shut me down, leave me in the dust
I’ll come back stronger, turnin’ hurt to trust
You can count me out, but that’s your mistake
I was built for the fall and the rise it makes
Yeah I bend, but I don’t break, I don’t quit
No matter what you do… I still rise from it

Outro (fading, raw)
Yeah I still rise…
Every damn time…
I still rise…

Gritty Southern soul-country, slow burn, swampy blues, raw vocals, gospel lift, comeback anthem, dark to triumphant rise