[Intro — distant Southern vocal sample / atmospheric] New South… New South… Old smoke in the sky, New tracks on the ground. They said we could build it different this time. (Different this time…) [Beat rises] Out-Yankee the Yankees… (Yeah.) Welcome to the NEW SOUTH. [Chorus — huge floating hook] New South, new sound, new smoke in the sky, New tracks, new towns, watch the whole thing rise. Iron in the earth, cotton growing outside, Tryna build tomorrow with the past still alive. New South… (New South) New South… (New South) Whole region dreaming with its eyes on the clouds. New South… But the old ain't gone. (Old ain't gone…) [Verse 1 — sparse, melodic Southern flow] Eighteen-eighties, Atlanta nights, Henry Grady talking 'bout a different life. Factories glowing. Railroad rolling. Coal underground and the iron doors open. Cotton mills hummin' Lumber keep runnin' Tobacco money got the whole thing buzzin'. Alabama iron got the furnace on glow, Florida ports sending lumber off the coast. Railroad tracks Double. Industry Jump. South looking up like “We coming back up.” Hard work. Home pride. Build it from the ground. They called that dream The New South. [Post-Chorus — beat floats] New money… Old land… New railroad… Old hands… New South… New plans… But something underneath still pulling us back. (Back… back… back…) [Verse 2 — beat gets darker] Outside the city Different story. Still cotton fields stretching out every morning. Sharecrop. Tenant. Credit. Debt. Work all year, still ain't cleared it yet. Merchant says “Pay me.” Farmer says “Wait.” Cotton price falling while the bills inflate. So plant more cotton just to pay what you owe, More cotton hits market price goes low. Plant more. Price drop. Plant more. Can't stop. Round and around till you're right where you started New South shining… Old cycle guarded. [Chorus — bigger] New South, new sound, new smoke in the sky, New tracks, new towns, watch the whole thing rise. Iron in the earth, cotton growing outside, Tryna build tomorrow with the past still alive. New South… (New South) New South… (New South) Whole region dreaming with its eyes on the clouds. New South… But the old ain't gone. [Bridge — psychedelic beat switch / vocals echo] Factories rise… (Rise…) Railroads run… (Run…) But freedom don't come just because progress comes. And Reconstruction fading with the setting sun… Redeemers taking power. Rights coming undone. So tell me How new is the New South… if everybody can't come? (Can't come… can't come…) [Final Verse — short, triumphant but uneasy] Steel got stronger. Cities got bigger. Rail lines stretching like veins through the region. Industry rising That's real. But the countryside struggling That's real. Cotton still king That's real. Freedom getting smaller That's real. Two truths living underneath one roof: Progress in the numbers don't mean progress for you. They wanted tomorrow. They built something new. But the Old South's shadow came walking through. [Final Chorus — enormous, layered vocals] NEW SOUTH! New sound, new smoke in the sky, New tracks, new towns, watch the whole thing rise. NEW SOUTH! Iron glowing red in the Southern night, Whole region reaching for a future in sight. New South… (New South…) New South… (New South…) Trying to leave yesterday but yesterday don't die. [Outro — beat dissolves into train sounds] New tracks… Old roads… New money… Old woes… New dreams… Old ghosts… Welcome to the New South. (New South…) (New South…) How new… is new?
