"The Letter of Victor Banjo"

Lyrics

[Verse 1] The lantern burns low in the midnight air, Maps on the table, silence everywhere, Outside the thunder of distant guns, Inside a soldier comes undone. I followed roads I thought were right, Marched through smoke and endless nights, But every war asks every man, "Do you still know where you stand?" [Pre-Chorus] And the radio whispers, Like ghosts in the dark, Calling old memories, Back to my heart. [Chorus] So I write this letter, By the fading light, To men I once marched with, On another side. If tomorrow never finds me, If these words are all I leave, Remember I was searching, For something to believe. [Verse 2] Lagos sleeps beneath the rain, Far away from all this pain, The streets I knew, The voices too, Still call my name through battle's tune. A soldier learns to carry scars, Some from bullets, Some from wars, But some are born from choices made, In shadows where the truth can fade. [Chorus] So I write this letter, By the fading light, To men I once marched with, On another side. If tomorrow never finds me, If these words are all I leave, Remember I was searching, For something to believe. [Bridge] Will they call me traitor? Will they call me friend? Will history forgive me, When the guns all finally end? Will they know the burden, A soldier has to bear? When every road before him, Leads somewhere through despair. [Instrumental Break] (Soft trumpet answers the piano.) (A distant marching drum fades in and out.) (Radio static in the background.) [Final Chorus] So I send this letter, Into the night, Carried by the wind, Beyond the fight. If my voice grows silent, If my story disappears, May Nigeria remember, We were countrymen before these fears. [Outro] The footsteps grow closer, The hallway grows still, The lantern keeps burning, Against its own will. I close my eyes gently, As the shadows draw near, And leave my final witness, Inside this letter here. (Soft trumpet fades.) (Radio crackles.) "Frontline update... fighting continues..." (Silence.) Suggested closing line for the video: "History judged his actions. Only history can judge his intentions." or "Some men leave behind medals. Others leave behind questions."