[Intro] The mountain does not kneel. The river does not beg. The eagle does not ask permission When it rises from the ledge. [Verse] They came with words like iron cages, Came with papers, came with guns, Promised peace beside the fire, Then stole the mornings from our sons. They said the old trails now were closed, They said the herds were not our own, They said a people born of thunder Must learn to live beneath a stone. [Pre-Chorus] But I have seen the winter lightning, I have heard the canyon roar, And the heart that knows the highlands Will not crawl across the floor. [Chorus] The Mountain Does Not Kneel, The desert does not yield. Break the chain, break the wheel, The Mountain Does Not Kneel. [Verse] We were tired, we were hungry, But the fire still remained, Every scar became a banner, Every loss became a name. I looked upon my scattered people, Saw the old grief in their eyes, And I swore before the spirits We would not be bought with lies. [Pre-Chorus] Let them count their marching columns, Let them polish boots and steel, There are things no army captures, There are wounds no treaty heals. [Chorus] The Mountain Does Not Kneel, The desert does not yield. Break the chain, break the wheel, The Mountain Does Not Kneel. [Instrumental] Massive drums, low guitars, Strings like storms beneath the stars. [Bridge] If I must stand with empty hands, I’ll stand until the sunrise bleeds. A free man dying on his land Is richer than a slave who feeds. [Breakdown] No. We do not kneel. No. We do not yield. No. Through dust and steel, The Mountain Does Not Kneel. [Build-up] Raise your voice, raise your shield, Let the broken heart be healed. [Chorus] The Mountain Does Not Kneel, The desert does not yield. Break the chain, break the wheel, The Mountain Does Not Kneel. [Chorus] The Mountain Does Not Kneel, Let the thunder sign the seal. Even when the wounds are real, The Mountain Does Not Kneel. [Outro] The mountain does not kneel. The river does not beg. The eagle does not ask permission When it rises from the ledge.