Hey Bill, you kind of changed the subject. I'll take a look at the new direction. This is what I jotted down but it's still based on what you initially posted. And I liked John's suggestions:

Bury The Hatchet

Verse 1
Bury the hatchet, smile and agree
Shake hands quick, don’t look at me
An indigenous tradition, borrowed and bent
Something once sacred, now cheaply spent
Mental ammunition, pick a side
Careful words with a blade inside
They say “it’s over,” say “let it rest”
But the ground still shifts in my chest

Pre-Chorus
They call it peace if no one speaks
Call it strength when the truth is weak
Every silence leaves its mark
Every lie still hits the dark

Chorus
You’ve got to catch it
Before you bury the hatchet
Words go down like lead
Forgiveness begged before the truth is said
Peace without truth is a loaded gun
Just waiting on a nervous thumb

Verse 2
Apologies thin as paper shields
Signed in ink but never sealed
They want closure, they want it clean
No fingerprints, no in-between
History edits what hurts the most
Cuts the crime, preserves the ghost
If “I’m sorry” skips the crime
It’s just another borrowed line

Pre-Chorus
They say “time heals everything”
While the open wound still stings
You don’t heal what you won’t face
You just hide it someplace

Chorus
You’ve got to catch it
Before you bury the hatchet
Words go down like lead
Forgiveness begged before the truth is said
Peace without truth is a loaded gun
Just waiting on a nervous thumb

Bridge
Peace isn’t quiet, it isn’t still
It isn’t fear dressed up as will
Call it mercy, call it grace
If it skips the truth, it’s just delay

Break (shout/chant)
Say it plain
Say it loud
Say it now

Final Chorus
You’ve got to catch it
Before you bury the hatchet
Don’t let the past stay dead
Forgiveness earned when the truth is said
Peace without truth is a loaded gun
And it always fires on someone

Outro
Bury the hatchet, not the blade
That’s still cutting what we never say

Last edited by Rob B.; 12/23/25 01:10 PM.