The Hallway Hymn

[Intro]
[Verse]
Dusty Rhodes humming low in the hall
Shadow puppets dancing on the cracked wall
The elevator's broken, stairs are a climb
We're paying for the space but living on time
Peeling paint on the radiator's cold spine
Landlord's ghost never shows up on time
Water stains tracing maps on the ceiling
Hard to keep a spiritual feeling
But the vinyl crackles like a warm fire
Lifting the spirit just a little bit higher
[Chorus]
It’s the hallway hymn we hum
Until the morning light has come
We share the salt, we share the bread
Keeping all the hungry spirits fed
Beyond the neglect and the cold
We find the stories left untold
Yeah, we find the stories left untold
[Verse]
Mrs. Gable on the fourth floor landing
Taught me 'bout the art of withstanding
She plants mint in a rusted coffee tin
Says the soul is where the harvest begins
She seen the riots and the redline maps
How the system sets the hidden traps
But she still sweeps the common floor
Keeping the wolves away from the door
Reciprocity is the only law we trust
Building diamonds out of city dust
[Pre-Chorus]
They trade our zip codes in a glass tower
While we wait for the heat for an hour
But the ledger can't count what we share
The silent currency of collective care
[Chorus]
It’s the hallway hymn we hum
Until the morning light has come
We share the salt, we share the bread
Keeping all the hungry spirits fed
Beyond the neglect and the cold
We find the stories left untold
Yeah, we find the stories left untold
[Bridge]
Old man Elias with the flugelhorn
Plays for the babies newly born
The notes float through the narrow hall
A soft cushion for the ones who fall
It’s a slow build, a measured pace
Finding dignity in a neglected space
No hollow bravado, just the truth
Preserving the wisdom for the youth
[Verse]
The boiler’s groaning like a dying beast
But we’re still invited to the Sunday feast
From the basement to the roof-top view
We’re making something old feel brand new
I used to want out, now I want in
To fix the cracks where the light gets thin
It ain't about the gold on the chain
It’s about the roots that survive the rain
One hand washes the other in the dark
Waiting for the morning to leave a mark
[Chorus]
It’s the hallway hymn we hum
Until the morning light has come
We share the salt, we share the bread
Keeping all the hungry spirits fed
Beyond the neglect and the cold
We find the stories left untold
Yeah, we find the stories left untold
[Outro]