Concrete Roses

Lyrics: [Verse 1] Sirens sing over hot cement Mama praying with the past-due rent Dice clap hard on a milk crate table We talk big dreams, half of us ain’t stable Homie got framed, judge read him like a script Public defender with the dead-pan lips He took twenty for a crime he ain’t claim His mama at the bus stop, whispering his name Spray paint halos on a brick wall corner Names of the dead in a chalk line border I walk slow, feel the ghosts in my shoes They taught me how to fight, how to never just lose [Chorus] We grew from concrete roses Ash on our clothes, but the soul still golden World try to close my eyes I keep ‘em open, keep ‘em open, keep ‘em open (yeah) Pain on my back like a coat Still I carry my people, that’s the oath I wrote Street life, blood on these poems But the hope don’t die, it just goes underground and grows [Verse 2] Cops cruise slow by the liquor store window Finger on the trigger and a bias in the innuendo Kids play tag in the parking lot lanes Hopscotch squares drawn over old blood stains Hearts get hard when the fridge stay empty Uncle hit the pipe, used to bench two-fifty Now he just bench press demons in the dark Talking to his shadow like it’s Noah and the Ark I seen crowns made out of EBT cards Royalty in hoodies, pulling shifts in the yard Loyalty is currency, spend that wise One false move, see the truth in their eyes [Chorus] [Bridge] If I fall, you better grab my name Hold it high like a lighter in the rain If you fall, I’ma break these chains Kick that door, drag you out that flame This ain’t glory, this survival slang Every scar on my arm like a wedding band Married to the block, but I’m filing for a change Tryna raise my son where the shots sound strange [Chorus] © Archon AI Lab. All rights reserved. This channel operates as an independent digital music production studio. All music and visual content is original and produced using AI-assisted tools combined with human creative direction. Any resemblance to existing artists, songs, or recordings is purely coincidental. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, re-uploading, or commercial use of this content is strictly prohibited without written permission from Archon AI Lab.