**(Beat: A soulful, mid-tempo Afro-fusion groove. A melancholic but hopeful acoustic guitar plucks in the background, accompanied by the steady, heartbeat-like rhythm of a traditional Goombay drum.)**
**(Intro)**
Yeah...
Reporting live from the land of diamonds and golden sun.
They call us resilient, but let me tell you the story behind the smile.
Listen closely... Salone man, stand up.
**(Verse 1)**
From the shores of Aberdeen to the peaks of Kabala,
The footprints of a warrior walking through the fire.
We survived the dark days, the decade of the rebel war,
When the night was filled with shadows and the engine of horror.
But a Salone man don't break, he binds the broken bones,
Rebuilds the shattered thatch, replaces stolen stones.
Then came the invisible killer, Ebola in the air,
Quarantine lines and the heavy burden of despair.
Followed by the mountain that wept, Regent mudslide tears,
Losing everything we loved in the blink of a frontier.
But look into his eyes, you don't see a victim's gaze,
You see a man who clears the rubble, navigating through the maze.
**(Chorus)**
Salone man, your heart is made of gold and iron,
Walking through the storm with the courage of a lion.
*Di bodi kin taya, bot di spirit nor kin die* (The body might tire, but the spirit never dies)
Looking at the future with a fire in your eye.
No matter the weight, no matter the pain,
Salone man will rise and stand tall again.
Yeah, we rise again.
**(Verse 2)**
Watch him in the morning, before the sun can wake,
Walking down the hill for the family's sake.
Inflation hitting hard, the *leone* losing weight,
But he’s hustling on the junction, refusing to accept defeat as fate.
He carries the weight of the house on a broken spine,
Selling *poda-poda* rides, saying "Everything go fine."
It’s more than just survival, it’s a dignity so deep,
A promise to the children that we have a faith to keep.
We don't just endure the hardship, we find a way to dance,
In the middle of the struggle, we give life another chance.
With a laugh that shakes the room and a hand to help his brother,
Because in the darkest night, we hold on to one another.
**(Chorus)**
Salone man, your heart is made of gold and iron,
Walking through the storm with the courage of a lion.
*Di bodi kin taya, bot di spirit nor kin die* (The body might tire, but the spirit never dies)
Looking at the future with a fire in your eye.
No matter the weight, no matter the pain,
Salone man will rise and stand tall again.
**(Bridge)**
It’s the blood of Bai Bureh running hot inside our veins,
The strength of Cotton Tree standing firm against the rains.
We are not defined by the tragedies we crossed,
But by the love we kept and the boundaries we burst.
From Freetown to Bo, Kenema to Makeni,
One people, one structural bond, we are many.
**(Outro)**
So wipe the sweat from your brow, brother.
Your resilience is your crown.
They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds.
Salone man... progress, peace, and justice.
Forever standing.
*(Fade out with the acoustic guitar and a soft, chanting choir singing "Salone, Salone...")*