Everybody Under One Roof

rain on jackets, bass through the wall
Same roof, different stories

Doors open late by the loading bay
blue lights washing the concrete floor
Everybody walks in carrying something
they did not want to say out loud anymore
A nurse comes straight from a double
with glitter over tired eyes
A driver parks by the alley entrance
checking missed calls under neon signs
Security stamps another wrist
The speakers cough, then breathe in time
I stand near the wall with my coat still on
letting the room decide if I am fine
No one asks me where I broke from
No one needs my whole life explained
The first clap lands like permission
and the roof starts learning our names

From the back wall to the front light
from the lost ones to the loud
One small rhythm finds another
till the quiet turns to crowd

Everybody under one roof
Different roads, same light coming through
Hands up if the week got heavy
same roof, different stories
Everybody under one roof
No one has to explain the bruise
For one night, let the ceiling shake
same roof, different stories

Under, under, one roof
same roof, different stories

Under, under, one roof

one roof
Same roof, different stories
different stories
Under, under, one roof
The whole room moving like truth

The kick drum walks through the bodies
like a heartbeat looking for friends
A girl in a green rain poncho
starts the chant near the beverage stand
A man with paint on his work shirt
throws both hands like Sunday church
The shy kid by the speaker stack
finds the drop and loses hurt
Somebody's auntie takes the middle
and every phone goes up in flame
The roof is sweating, lights are spinning
water bottles roll under shoes
The DJ cuts the bass for one bar
and we sing loud enough to prove
A city can be hard by morning
sirens, screens, and unpaid things
But midnight builds another country
every time the whole room sings

From the north side to the river
from the train line to downtown
All our lonely little weather
turns to thunder in the sound

Everybody under one roof
Different roads, same light coming through
Hands up if the week got heavy
same roof, different stories
Everybody under one roof
No one has to explain the bruise
For one night, let the ceiling shake
same roof, different stories

Under, under, one roof
same roof, different stories

Under, under, one roof
same roof, different stories

Under, under, one roof

Under, under, one roof
same roof, different stories

Under, under, one roof

one roof
Same roof, different stories
different stories
Under, under, one roof
The whole room moving like truth

and the beat cuts out, we hear it
all the breathing in the room
All the almost-crying laughter
all the hearts coming unglued
No speech, no sermon, no border
No winner on the floor
Just a thousand private stories
finding one unlocked door
If the morning takes us separate
we still shared a name
Left side, right side
front row, back wall
Every voice together
when the last lights fall
Left side, right side
heart loud, hands high
Same roof, different stories
same fire in the sky

Everybody under one roof
Different roads, same light coming through
Hands up if the week got heavy
same roof, different stories
Everybody under one roof
No one has to explain the bruise
For one night, let the ceiling shake
same roof, different stories

Under, under, one roof
one roof, one roof, one roof
same roof, different stories

one roof, one roof, one roof
The whole room moving like truth

House