Buddleia

[Verse 1]
My first leaves pushed through a crack in the Grenfell year
The air went thick with sirens, stayed that way from here
I watch the gannets scrounge for Morley's by the bin
Uncle Festus with the pigeons lets the sunlight in
He calls me 'that damn weed,' but waters me sometimes
Traces names in dust, commits forgotten crimes
Of loyalty and silence, the language of the walls
I drink the acid rain before it ever falls.

[Chorus]
Got my roots in the grout-line, concrete dust on my tongue
Holding every story since the block was young
They call it invasive, I call it a home
The only living history written in this stone.

[Verse 2]
Saw the bailiffs come on Tuesday, sky was council-grey
Heard her tell her boy, 'Don't worry, it's just a game we play.'
Saw him draw a chalk-art spaceship on my concrete skin
A little splash of colour where the damp gets in
The low hum from the nail shop's extractor fan
Sings a tune in Yoruba I can understand
A prayer for better business, a curse on rising rent
I hold the vibration, wonder where the last lot went.

[Chorus]
Got my roots in the grout-line, concrete dust on my tongue
Holding every story since the block was young
They call it invasive, I call it a home
The only living history written in this stone.

[Instrumental Break]
(20-second breakdown: beat strips to 808 and hi-hats, no vocals)

[Chorus]
Got my roots in the grout-line, concrete dust on my tongue
Holding every story since the block was young
They call it invasive, I call it a home
The only living history written in this stone.