The Tortoise and the Hard

Lyrics

Verse 1 Russian Eskimos, stories in the snow, People moving north where the cold winds blow. Everybody’s got a theory, everybody’s got a claim, History gets twisted when you’re trying to place the blame. Some say conquer, some say survive, Some say that’s just how they stayed alive. Hard ground, hard winters, hard lessons learned, Every generation leaves a fire that burned. Pre-Chorus And the voices keep changing, Like stations on the dial, One minute talking history, The next minute talking trials. Chorus The lowest thing a man can do Is bear a lie against another soul. The gifts of the Spirit aren’t fists and pride, They’re the peace that keeps control. Let’s have a cup of coffee, friend, Maybe nothing’s really wrong. Most fights begin with shadows, Most peace begins with a song. Verse 2 Central District, back seat ride, Cougars hat and a little bit of pride. Everybody looking tough, everybody standing tall, Most of the time nobody’s fighting at all. A man looks back upon his years, Sorting victories from fears. Football? No. Pool? Maybe that’s the one. A few perfect moments under the sun. Chorus The lowest thing a man can do Is bear a lie against another soul. The gifts of the Spirit aren’t fists and pride, They’re the peace that keeps control. Let’s have a cup of coffee, friend, Maybe nothing’s really wrong. Most fights begin with shadows, Most peace begins with a song. Bridge Boom, boom, boom—balls flying off the rail, Only reason I survived was because he finally failed. “I’m the tortoise, you’re the hare,” One magic shot hanging in the air. Filipinos with the cue sticks, calm and steady hands, Little giants building legends nobody understands. Ernesto hit like thunder, though he barely weighed a thing, Skill can humble anybody standing in the ring. Final Chorus The gifts of the Spirit still whisper low, When the noise gets loud and the tempers grow. History, pool halls, strangers passing through, A man keeps learning what is true. And the table gets bigger, the balls spread wide, More room for patience, less room for pride. The tortoise keeps moving when the crowd is gone, And somehow the game keeps carrying on.