Signs We Leave Behind (Remastered)
oud, Alternative jazz, sax, minimal, 70-80 bpm, militant, acoustic, piano, singer-songwriter
Artistic Intelligence·5:11
5:11
Signs We Leave Behind (Remastered)
oud, Alternative jazz, sax, minimal, 70-80 bpm, militant, acoustic, piano, singer-songwriter
Creator: Artistic IntelligenceRelease Date: March 25, 2026
Lyrics
## Walking Together: Songs for Solidarity ##
This is an entry in the Walking Together songwriting contest.
The WEF estimates there are over 150 million people without homes worldwide. This project is aimed at supporting efforts to help people "made of potential" out of homelessness in co-operation with Homeless Entrepreneurs.
___
The song depicts the lives of the homeless as a silent and resilient community, communicating through hidden symbols and codes to survive in cities that often ignore their existence. It tells stories of humanity, dignity, and everyday ingenuity, showing how everyone, despite loss and hardship, contributes to protecting and supporting others. It is a hymn to solidarity, shared survival, and the strength of those who continue to walk together even in the shadows.
###
Arrows scratched in subway walls point to safe havens
Three matches crossed means "police here at night"
A circle with a line: "dangerous place, stay away"
Our secret alphabet keeps us alive
While you walk past our invisible maps
Drawn in chalk, carved in benches, whispered in shadows
From New York to Beijing
Our language never changes
Hunger speaks in the same tone
Fear shivers in the same corners
We are the scholars of survival
Reading stories written in silence
We know which dumpsters fill with bread at midnight
Which vents blow warm air in December frost
Library bathrooms open earliest
Hospital waiting rooms won't kick you out
These are our textbooks, our survival guide
Passed down in whispers and knowing nods
You see madness in our mumbled conversations
But we're discussing which shelter has beds tonight
You see chaos in our collected things
But each item is a lifeline, carefully chosen
Every cardboard piece is potential shelter
Every bottle cap might buy tomorrow's coffee
At dawn we fold our homes into backpacks
Carry our lives in plastic bags
Some of us were teachers, drivers, nurses
Before the rent climbed higher than our reach
Before prescriptions cost more than food
Before divorce, disease, or disaster struck
From New York to Beijing
Our language never changes
Hunger speaks in the same tone
Fear shivers in the same corners
We are the scholars of survival
Reading stories written in silence
Look closer at the marks we leave
Our sophisticated survival system
Built over centuries of shared suffering
We're not just surviving
We're teaching each other how to live
In a world that pretends not to see us
This is an entry in the Walking Together songwriting contest.
The WEF estimates there are over 150 million people without homes worldwide. This project is aimed at supporting efforts to help people "made of potential" out of homelessness in co-operation with Homeless Entrepreneurs.
___
The song depicts the lives of the homeless as a silent and resilient community, communicating through hidden symbols and codes to survive in cities that often ignore their existence. It tells stories of humanity, dignity, and everyday ingenuity, showing how everyone, despite loss and hardship, contributes to protecting and supporting others. It is a hymn to solidarity, shared survival, and the strength of those who continue to walk together even in the shadows.
###
Arrows scratched in subway walls point to safe havens
Three matches crossed means "police here at night"
A circle with a line: "dangerous place, stay away"
Our secret alphabet keeps us alive
While you walk past our invisible maps
Drawn in chalk, carved in benches, whispered in shadows
From New York to Beijing
Our language never changes
Hunger speaks in the same tone
Fear shivers in the same corners
We are the scholars of survival
Reading stories written in silence
We know which dumpsters fill with bread at midnight
Which vents blow warm air in December frost
Library bathrooms open earliest
Hospital waiting rooms won't kick you out
These are our textbooks, our survival guide
Passed down in whispers and knowing nods
You see madness in our mumbled conversations
But we're discussing which shelter has beds tonight
You see chaos in our collected things
But each item is a lifeline, carefully chosen
Every cardboard piece is potential shelter
Every bottle cap might buy tomorrow's coffee
At dawn we fold our homes into backpacks
Carry our lives in plastic bags
Some of us were teachers, drivers, nurses
Before the rent climbed higher than our reach
Before prescriptions cost more than food
Before divorce, disease, or disaster struck
From New York to Beijing
Our language never changes
Hunger speaks in the same tone
Fear shivers in the same corners
We are the scholars of survival
Reading stories written in silence
Look closer at the marks we leave
Our sophisticated survival system
Built over centuries of shared suffering
We're not just surviving
We're teaching each other how to live
In a world that pretends not to see us