• I Had To Fight

    I Had To Fight by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: Sister Pride

    Lyrics:

    [Verse 1]
    Born where the smoke rolled over Gary
    Rust on the rails, nowhere to hide
    Mama said, “Girl, you better learn something”
    Nobody’s gonna save you this time

    Secondhand clothes and empty cupboards
    Learned real young to stand up straight
    When life came knocking like a fist at the door
    I learned to hit back, I learned to fight

    [Pre-Chorus]
    I never asked for the hand I was dealt
    I just learned how to play it myself

    [Chorus]
    I had to fight
    For every damn inch of this life
    I learned to bleed, I learned to bite
    I didn’t choose the dark
    The dark taught me right
    Call me the Devil
    Call me outlaw tonight
    I didn’t get lucky
    I had to fight

    [Instrumental — bass and guitar]

    [Verse 2]
    Promises didn’t mean much
    When the people left first
    I learned how to stand
    When the whole world said fall

    I carried my scars
    Like a map on my skin
    Every time they knocked me down
    I got up again

    Some girls got diamonds
    Some girls got a chance
    I got steel in my heart
    And these boots on my feet

    [Pre-Chorus]
    You see the woman standing here tonight
    You don’t know what it took to get this right

    [Chorus]
    I had to fight
    For every damn inch of this life
    I learned to bleed, I learned to bite
    I didn’t choose the dark
    The dark taught me right
    Call me the Devil
    Call me outlaw tonight
    I didn’t get lucky
    I had to fight

    [Instrumental Break — heavy blues-rock]

    [Verse 3]
    One day I left that town behind me
    Indiana fading in the rain
    Had a suitcase, a guitar case
    And a whole lot of anger in my veins

    I didn’t know where I was going
    Didn’t care what waited down the line
    I just knew I wasn’t staying there
    And nobody was gonna change my mind

    [Chorus — building]
    I had to fight
    For every damn inch of this life
    I learned to bleed, I learned to bite
    I didn’t choose the dark
    The dark taught me right
    Call me the Devil
    Call me outlaw tonight
    I didn’t get lucky
    I had to fight

    [Bridge — stripped down]
    Don’t call me broken
    Don’t call me bad
    You weren’t there for the life I had

    Don’t tell me
    Who I should have been
    You didn’t see me
    When I couldn’t win

    I ain’t ashamed
    Of the girl I was
    She kept me alive
    When nobody else would

    And if the Devil made me what I am
    Then the Devil understood

    [Bass break]

    [Final Chorus — full band]
    I had to fight
    For every damn inch of this life
    I learned to bleed, I learned to bite
    I didn’t choose the dark
    The dark taught me right

    You can call me trouble
    You can call me dynamite
    You can call me Devil
    But don’t call me lucky tonight

    I had to fight
    Yeah, I had to fight
    Every mile
    Every scar
    Every damn night

    I had to fight.

    [Outro — vocal over slow guitar]
    Gary made me hard
    The road made me free
    Everything I am
    I fought to be

    Yeah…

    I had to fight.

  • I Chose The Road

    I Chose The Road by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: Sister Pride

    Lyrics:

    [Verse 1]
    They gave me every reason
    To stay inside the lines
    A piano in the living room
    And a future already mine
    My father wrote the songs
    My mother taught me how to play
    They had a plan for my whole life
    I had another way

    [Pre-Chorus]
    I could hear the music calling
    From somewhere I had never been
    And every time they told me “settle”
    I heard something underneath

    [Chorus]
    I chose the road
    I chose the rain
    I chose the nights
    And the beautiful pain
    I could’ve had the easy life
    I could’ve had it all
    But I’d rather chase the music
    Than never hear it call
    I didn’t run away
    I ran toward what I know
    I could’ve stayed where I belonged
    But I chose the road

    [Verse 2]
    I played the rooms they warned me about
    With the people they didn’t know
    I traded polished concert halls
    For places where the wild ones go
    I learned that perfect isn’t freedom
    And safe don’t make you whole
    Sometimes you have to lose the map
    To find where you belong

    [Pre-Chorus]
    My mother cried the first time
    She saw me on that stage
    My father just shook his head
    And said I’d outgrown my cage

    [Chorus]
    I chose the road
    I chose the rain
    I chose the nights
    And the beautiful pain
    I could’ve had the easy life
    I could’ve had it all
    But I’d rather chase the music
    Than never hear it call
    I didn’t run away
    I ran toward what I know
    I could’ve stayed where I belonged
    But I chose the road

    [Bridge — build]
    Maybe I was born too restless
    Maybe I was born too free
    Maybe all the things they gave me
    Weren’t the things I needed
    I don’t blame them for the life
    They tried so hard to give
    They taught me how to play the music
    I just chose how I would live

    [Guitar Solo]

    [Final Chorus — bigger]
    I chose the road
    I chose the rain
    I chose the fire
    And I chose the flame
    I could’ve had the easy life
    I could’ve had it all
    But I’d rather fall chasing something
    Than never move at all
    I didn’t run away
    I ran toward what I know
    I could’ve lived somebody else’s life
    But I chose the road

    [Outro]
    So if you ask me why I left
    Why I traded safe for wild
    I’ll tell you what my mother taught me
    When I was just a child…

    Music isn’t meant to keep you still.

  • I Left Gary

    I Left Gary by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: Sister Pride

    Lyrics:

    Verse 1
    I was fifteen with a beat-up guitar
    A couple of clothes and a dream too far
    Gary was cold and Gary was mean
    So I caught that train to chase my dream

    Pre-Chorus
    Didn’t have a plan
    Didn’t need one
    Just a ticket out
    And a place to run

    Chorus
    I left Gary
    I left it behind
    Took my guitar and my bad attitude
    And left that town behind
    I left Gary
    Didn’t say goodbye
    If they wanted me to stay
    They should’ve given me a reason why

    Verse 2
    Chicago taught me how to survive
    Played my guitar, stayed alive
    Found a bass by a dumpster one night
    Beat-up and ugly, but it felt right

    Pre-Chorus
    Didn’t have much
    But I had a sound
    Sometimes you find
    What you’re looking for on the ground

    Chorus
    I left Gary
    I left it behind
    Took my guitar and my bad attitude
    And left that town behind
    I left Gary
    Didn’t say goodbye
    If they wanted me to stay
    They should’ve given me a reason why

    Bridge
    No money
    No plan
    Guitar in my hand
    Bass by my side
    And nowhere to hide
    Then the Misfits came through
    And they knew what to do
    They bought me a Fender
    And gave me something new

    Verse 3
    Then I found a Harley, beat-up and loud
    Didn’t look like much, but I liked it proud
    Chicago behind me, Miami ahead
    With my bass on my back and the road in my head

    Final Chorus
    I left Gary
    Yeah, I left that town
    Took a train to Chicago
    Then I rode southbound
    I left Gary
    And I’m still alive
    Got a Harley, got a Fender
    And one hell of a ride

    Outro
    I left Gary.
    That’s all you need to know.

  • Worth The Wait

    Worth The wait by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: Sister Pride

    Lyrics:

    [Verse 1]
    I wasn’t born with a silver spoon
    Didn’t have a dream that came true too soon
    Just a kid with a song in my head
    And a cheap old guitar book beside my bed

    I wanted six strings and an old amp loud
    Something that would make me stand out from the crowd
    Dad said, “Save your money, then we’ll see”
    So I started saving every dime I could keep

    [Chorus]
    I worked for it
    I saved for it
    Every dollar, every day
    I wanted it
    I waited for it
    I wouldn’t let it slip away
    Maybe I wasn’t born a star
    Maybe I wasn’t born that wild
    But I knew what I wanted
    And I chased it like a child

    [Verse 2]
    I put my money in a little jar
    Every week I saved what I could
    Ten dollars here, fifteen there
    Just like my daddy said I should

    Months went by and I kept saving
    Never once gave up the dream
    Then one day I had three hundred
    And that guitar was on sale cheap

    [Chorus]
    I worked for it
    I saved for it
    Every dollar, every day
    I wanted it
    I waited for it
    I wouldn’t let it slip away
    Maybe I wasn’t born a star
    Maybe I wasn’t born that wild
    But I knew what I wanted
    And I chased it like a child

    [Bridge]
    I didn’t know where that guitar would lead
    Didn’t know I’d ever play a stage
    I just knew when I held it in my hands
    Something inside me came awake

    [Final Chorus]
    I worked for it
    I saved for it
    And when I finally got my chance
    I held that guitar
    Like it belonged to me
    And I never looked back again

    I wasn’t born a legend
    I was just a middle-class kid
    With a dream in her heart
    And a little bit of grit

    [Outro]
    Sometimes you don’t need everything
    Sometimes you just need one thing
    Bad enough to work for it.

  • Sister Pride

    Sister Pride by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: Sister Pride

    Lyrics:

    [Verse 1]
    We didn’t come from the same place
    Didn’t walk the same road
    Three different stories
    Three different loads
    But somewhere along the way
    The lines all crossed
    We found something worth keeping
    In everything we’d lost

    [Pre-Chorus]
    When the world gets heavy
    When the night gets long
    I know who’s beside me
    I know where I belong

    [Chorus]
    We are Outlaws, sister pride
    Three wild hearts, side by side
    Through the thick and through the thin
    If one falls down, we all jump in
    Ain’t blood that makes a family
    It’s the ones who never leave your side
    We are Outlaws, sister pride
    Soulmates for this crazy ride

    [Verse 2]
    One had a road already waiting
    One had nothing but a dream
    One had to fight for every breath
    Before she ever joined the team
    We brought our scars and our stories
    We brought the things we couldn’t hide
    Somehow all those broken pieces
    Fit together side by side

    [Chorus]
    We are Outlaws, sister pride
    Three wild hearts, side by side
    Through the thick and through the thin
    If one falls down, we all jump in
    Ain’t blood that makes a family
    It’s the ones who never leave your side
    We are Outlaws, sister pride
    Soulmates for this crazy ride

    [Bridge]
    When the road gets rough
    We’ll ride it anyway
    When the money runs out
    We’ll laugh another day
    When somebody comes knocking
    Trying to tear us apart
    They better bring the whole damn world
    ‘Cause they’ve got three outlaw hearts

    [Final Chorus]
    We are Outlaws, sister pride
    Three wild hearts, side by side
    Through the fire, through the rain
    Through the glory and the pain
    Ain’t blood that makes a family
    It’s the ones who never leave your side
    We are Outlaws, sister pride
    Soulmates for this crazy ride

    [Outro]
    Sayaka, Lara, Camilla…
    Three roads.
    One ride.
    Sister pride.

  • Red Dirt Woman

    Red Dirt Woman by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: After The Lights Go Down

    Lyrics:

    [Verse 1]
    I got red dirt underneath my boots
    And Texas dust in my hair
    I got a six-string in the backseat
    And I don’t belong nowhere
    I’ve slept beneath the desert moon
    I’ve danced beneath neon signs
    I never needed much to make me happy
    Just a little whiskey and a little time

    [Pre-Chorus]
    Don’t try to tame me, baby
    I’ve been wild too long
    You can walk beside me
    But you can’t tell me where I belong

    [Chorus]
    I’m a red dirt woman
    With a highway in my veins
    I got fire in my heart
    And thunder in my name
    I ain’t looking for a savior
    I ain’t waiting for a man
    I’m a red dirt woman
    And I’m gonna be who I am

    [Verse 2]
    I’ve kissed boys in parking lots
    And I’ve left them wanting more
    I’ve played my guitar until daylight
    Then walked right out the door
    I like a man who can handle me
    But I don’t need one to stay
    If you want to ride beside me
    Better keep up all the way

    [Pre-Chorus]
    I’ve got scars I don’t talk about
    And stories I won’t tell
    But every mile behind me
    Was another mile lived well

    [Chorus]
    I’m a red dirt woman
    With a highway in my veins
    I got fire in my heart
    And thunder in my name
    I ain’t looking for a savior
    I ain’t waiting for a man
    I’m a red dirt woman
    And I’m gonna be who I am

    [Bridge]
    So pour me something strong
    Turn that jukebox up
    Let that old guitar cry
    Till the sun comes up
    Tomorrow I’ll be somewhere
    That I’ve never been before
    But tonight I’m right where I belong
    With my boots on that floor

    [Guitar Solo]

    [Final Chorus]
    I’m a red dirt woman
    With a highway in my veins
    I got fire in my heart
    And thunder in my name
    I ain’t looking for a savior
    I ain’t waiting for a man
    I’m a red dirt woman
    And I’m gonna be who I am

    [Outro]
    Red dirt on my boots…
    Texas in my soul…
    Turn that guitar up, baby…
    I’m ready to roll.

  • Low Light Run

    Low Light Run by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: After The Lights Go Down

    Lyrics:

    [Intro]
    Low light run
    Low light run

    [Verse 1]
    Low light run, don’t say much,
    Hands stay steady, don’t rush,
    You move loud—I move clean,
    Somewhere in between.

    Neon hum, tires roll,
    No sharp turns, full control,
    You chase heat—I stay cool,
    Play it smooth.

    [Chorus]
    Low light run, keep it slow,
    You don’t see what I know,
    No hard push, no loud sound,
    Still run this town.

    Low light run, don’t break stride,
    No big moves, no need to hide,
    You look close—you won’t see
    What moves me.

    [Verse 2]
    Back street line, midnight air,
    You look once—I’m not there,
    No big flash, no big sign,
    Just that line.

    Engine low, steady pace,
    I don’t rush, I don’t chase,
    You burn out—I stay true,
    Roll right through.

    [Chorus]
    Low light run, keep it slow,
    You don’t see what I know,
    No hard push, no loud sound,
    Still run this town.

    Low light run, don’t break stride,
    No big moves, no need to hide,
    You look close—you won’t see
    What moves me.

    [Bridge]
    No spotlight, no name,
    Still I’m in the game,
    You go loud—I go far,
    That’s what we are.

    [Final Chorus]
    Low light run, keep it slow,
    You don’t see what I know,
    No hard push, no loud sound,
    Still run this town.

    Low light run, don’t break stride,
    No big moves, no need to hide,
    You look close—you won’t see
    What moves me.

  • Stay If You Want To

    Stay If You Want To by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: After The Lights Go Down

    Lyrics:

    [Verse 1]
    They see the lights when I walk on stage
    They hear that six-string cry
    They see me smile when the music starts
    And watch me reach the sky
    They know the songs, they know my name
    They know the girl they see
    But when the last light fades away
    There’s another side of me

    [Pre-Chorus]
    I leave the noise behind me
    When the night is finally through
    And somewhere down that highway
    I wonder if you knew

    [Chorus]
    They see the lights, they hear the sound
    They see me standing when the curtain comes down
    They know my name, they know my song
    But nobody sees the road I travel on
    They see the fire burning in my eyes
    But they don’t see the woman underneath the lights
    They hear me sing like nothing’s wrong
    But nobody sees the road I travel on

    [Verse 2]
    Another room, another town
    Another key beside the bed
    I put my guitar in the corner
    And hear the things I never said
    The morning comes too early
    And the highway calls again
    I tell myself I’m lucky
    And most days I believe I am

    [Pre-Chorus]
    But there are things you carry
    That never make a song
    And there are nights you wonder
    Where you really do belong

    [Chorus]
    They see the lights, they hear the sound
    They see me standing when the curtain comes down
    They know my name, they know my song
    But nobody sees the road I travel on
    They see the fire burning in my eyes
    But they don’t see the woman underneath the lights
    They hear me sing like nothing’s wrong
    But nobody sees the road I travel on

    [Bridge — almost whispered]
    Maybe that’s the price you pay
    When you choose the life you love
    You give the world your music
    And keep some things locked up
    I don’t need their pity
    I don’t need their sympathy
    I just wish sometimes somebody
    Could see the girl behind me

    [Guitar Solo]

    [Final Chorus — building to full vocal power]
    They see the lights, they hear the sound
    They see me standing when the curtain comes down
    They know my name, they know my song
    But nobody sees the road I travel on
    They see the fire burning in my eyes
    They see the outlaw underneath the lights
    But if you really want to know me
    Come a little closer when the music’s gone

    [Outro — quiet]
    The lights go down…
    The road goes on…
    And tomorrow I’ll sing another song.

  • Nobody Sees The Road

    Nobody Sees The Road by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: After The Lights Go Down

    Lyrics:

    [Verse 1]
    They see the lights when I walk on stage
    They hear that six-string cry
    They see me smile when the music starts
    And watch me reach the sky
    They know the songs, they know my name
    They know the girl they see
    But when the last light fades away
    There’s another side of me

    [Pre-Chorus]
    I leave the noise behind me
    When the night is finally through
    And somewhere down that highway
    I wonder if you knew

    [Chorus]
    They see the lights, they hear the sound
    They see me standing when the curtain comes down
    They know my name, they know my song
    But nobody sees the road I travel on
    They see the fire burning in my eyes
    But they don’t see the woman underneath the lights
    They hear me sing like nothing’s wrong
    But nobody sees the road I travel on

    [Verse 2]
    Another room, another town
    Another key beside the bed
    I put my guitar in the corner
    And hear the things I never said
    The morning comes too early
    And the highway calls again
    I tell myself I’m lucky
    And most days I believe I am

    [Pre-Chorus]
    But there are things you carry
    That never make a song
    And there are nights you wonder
    Where you really do belong

    [Chorus]
    They see the lights, they hear the sound
    They see me standing when the curtain comes down
    They know my name, they know my song
    But nobody sees the road I travel on
    They see the fire burning in my eyes
    But they don’t see the woman underneath the lights
    They hear me sing like nothing’s wrong
    But nobody sees the road I travel on

    [Bridge — almost whispered]
    Maybe that’s the price you pay
    When you choose the life you love
    You give the world your music
    And keep some things locked up
    I don’t need their pity
    I don’t need their sympathy
    I just wish sometimes somebody
    Could see the girl behind me

    [Guitar Solo]

    [Final Chorus — building to full vocal power]
    They see the lights, they hear the sound
    They see me standing when the curtain comes down
    They know my name, they know my song
    But nobody sees the road I travel on
    They see the fire burning in my eyes
    They see the outlaw underneath the lights
    But if you really want to know me
    Come a little closer when the music’s gone

    [Outro — quiet]
    The lights go down…
    The road goes on…
    And tomorrow I’ll sing another song.

  • Don’t Let Me Go

    Don't Let Me Go by Sayaka Cruz

    Album: After The Lights Go Down

    Lyrics:

    I don’t usually say these things
    I keep them locked away
    I’ve spent my life with an open road
    And never asked it to stay
    But tonight this room feels different
    With your shadow on the wall
    And for the first time in a long time
    I’m afraid to lose it all

    [Pre-Chorus]
    I’ve always been the leaving kind
    I’ve never been afraid
    But somewhere between your arms and mine
    Something in me changed

    [Chorus]
    Don’t let me go
    When the morning comes
    Don’t let me go
    When the night is done
    I’ve been running all my life
    With nothing left to prove
    But if there’s one thing I want tonight
    It’s to wake up next to you

    [Verse 2]
    I’ve slept beneath a thousand stars
    And called the highway home
    I’ve played my songs in every town
    And still felt all alone
    You don’t have to fix my heart
    You don’t have to change my ways
    Just put your hand inside of mine
    And tell me you’re gonna stay

    [Pre-Chorus]
    I can still hear that highway calling
    I can still feel the wind
    But right here in this moment
    I don’t want to leave again

    [Chorus]
    Don’t let me go
    When the morning comes
    Don’t let me go
    When the night is done
    I’ve been running all my life
    With nothing left to prove
    But if there’s one thing I want tonight
    It’s to wake up next to you

    [Bridge — very quiet]
    If I let you see me like this
    Promise you won’t turn away
    There’s a woman underneath this armor
    Who gets scared sometimes
    And tonight…
    I just want you to stay

    [Guitar Solo — slow, emotional, building]

    [Final Chorus — huge vocal]
    Don’t let me go
    When the morning comes
    Don’t let me go
    When the night is done
    I’ve been running all my life
    But I’ve finally found the truth
    I don’t need the whole damn world
    I just need you

    Don’t let me go
    Don’t let me go
    I’ve been fighting every feeling
    But tonight I’m telling you

    Don’t let me go.

    [Outro — whispered]
    …just stay.