About the song
A story for this song hasn’t been added yet.
Words from the artist’s archive
Flatline on the Palmetto lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Yeah… the rain don’t let up on the Palmetto…
Verse 1
Wakes up to the wreck, glass in his chest, rain coming sideways Palmetto Expressway, traffic backed up for miles, another day The lights on the dash reading 11:58, same as the bill at home Kids in the back of his mind, but his body already gone Heat rising off the asphalt even in the storm Another soul caught in the rush, another story cut short He sees the blue lights flashing, but his vision going black Wakes up in the final moment, no tomorrow to borrow
Chorus
The lights go out but the story don’t stop From the last breath to the first cry, we rise from the drop He saw every ending in the eyes of the block Then the first breath that kept the whole thing on lock
Verse 2
Wakes up in the bed of a man who ran the block till it broke him Cancer in his chest, but he still trying to stay golden Regrets the nights on the corner, the money that came and went The family he couldn’t hold, the time that he spent Rent always due, the lights threatening to cut Court dates piling, the pressure building up He sees his own face in that dying man’s stare The weight of every choice landing heavy in the air
Chorus
The lights go out but the story don’t stop From the last breath to the first cry, we rise from the drop He saw every ending in the eyes of the block Then the first breath that kept the whole thing on lock
Verse 3
Wakes up in the hospital of a single mom from Liberty City Kids at the bedside, holding on, trying to be strong She flashes her life, double shifts, late night prayers Hopes she had for them, regrets she couldn’t repair Light bill due, power flickering like her fight Wanted more summers, more “I got you” in the night He sees himself in her struggle, same fire in different skin The mirror showing every soul fighting to begin again
Verse 4
Wakes up in the body of a young one who lived too fast Fighting the end, the streets and the system that don’t last Regrets the risks he took to keep the lights on at home Corners he stood on, the seeds that he sown The enemy ain’t just death, it’s the rush that caused the crash Pressure to provide, the corners he couldn’t pass He fights in his mind, tries to change the last page But the flatline coming, turning the whole book to a new stage
Chorus
The lights go out but the story don’t stop From the last breath to the first cry, we rise from the drop He saw every ending in the eyes of the block Then the first breath that kept the whole thing on lock
Verse 5
Then it shifts to the newborn in the same Miami heat Loved from the first cry, wrapped in arms that repeat First years flash, first steps on the same wet concrete First words in the language of survival and street Lesson passed down: even when the flatline hits The love in the room is the power that persists From the wreck to the cradle, the cycle stays true In Overtown, in Carol City, the story continues through you
Outro
The lights go out… But the love…
Inside the recording
Yeah… the rain don’t let up on the Palmetto…
The lights go out but the story don’t stop From the last breath to the first cry, we rise from the drop
The lights go out… But the love…
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.