LET LOVE BE LOUDER

[Intro: low piano, distant crowd noise, heartbeat kick]

[Whispered Voices]
Fear.
Anger.
Blame.
Again.

[Pause]

[Lead, softly]
What if we answered differently?

[Verse 1: restrained vocal]

We’ve learned to sharpen every word
Before the other side is heard
We’ve learned to turn a wounded face
Into another thing to hate

We carry old frustrations
Like medals from a war
Then wonder why the room gets colder
Every time we keep the score

[Backing Vocals]
Who hurt who?
Who struck first?
Who deserves
To hurt the worst?

[Lead]
Somebody has to break the rhythm
Before the rhythm breaks us all

[Pre-Chorus: strings rising]

Forgiveness doesn’t call the damage small
Tolerance doesn’t mean agreeing at all

Love is not surrender
Mercy isn’t weak

Sometimes strength is choosing
Not to become the thing you seek to beat

[Chorus: full band, massive choir]

LET LOVE BE LOUDER THAN FEAR

LET FORGIVENESS OUTLIVE THE YEARS

LET TOLERANCE STAND
WHERE THE ANGER ONCE STOOD

LET US ANSWER THE WORST
WITH SOMETHING BETTER AND GOOD

When hate says “enemy”
Let compassion say “human”

When frustration says “strike”
Let understanding move in

[Choir]
LOVE!
FORGIVE!
LET LIVE!

[Lead]
Let love be louder than fear

[Verse 2: driving drums]

I’ve been wrong
You’ve been wrong
We’ve both carried damage along

We’ve said things
Built walls
Watched our better instincts fall

But nobody is only
Their most terrible day

And nobody becomes better
When we give them no other way

[Backing Vocals]
Open the door
Loosen the chain

[Lead]
Justice can remember
Without worshipping the pain

[Pre-Chorus]

We can draw a boundary
Without learning how to hate

We can name the harm
Without making vengeance fate

We can disagree
And still leave dignity intact

A future needs a bridge
More than another counterattack

[Chorus]

LET LOVE BE LOUDER THAN FEAR

LET FORGIVENESS OUTLIVE THE YEARS

LET TOLERANCE STAND
WHERE THE ANGER ONCE STOOD

LET US ANSWER THE WORST
WITH SOMETHING BETTER AND GOOD

When hate says “enemy”
Let compassion say “human”

When frustration says “burn it down”
Let patience start rebuilding

[Choir]
LOVE!
FORGIVE!
LET LIVE!

[Bridge: drums drop, piano and choir]

[Spoken-Sung]

This isn’t pretending
there is no cruelty.

This isn’t smiling
while somebody causes harm.

It’s refusing to give cruelty
another home inside your heart.

[Soft Choir]
Another home…

[Lead]
Fear wants multiplication

One wound becomes two
Two become ten

Hatred wants inheritance
Passed from parent
To child
To friend

But forgiveness can interrupt it

Tolerance can stop the spread

And love can look at history
And say—

[Music cuts]

“It ends with me instead.”

[Huge drum fill]

[Final Chorus: key change]

LET LOVE BE LOUDER THAN FEAR

LET THE HATE LOSE POWER HERE

LET FORGIVENESS RISE
LIKE THE MORNING THROUGH THE NIGHT

LET TOLERANCE KEEP
EVERY DIFFERENCE FROM A FIGHT

When fear builds borders
Let kindness cross through

When anger says “destroy them”
Let courage ask “who?”

[Choir]
WHO ARE THEY?
WHO ARE WE?

[Lead]
People trying
To be free

[All Vocals]
LOVE!
FORGIVE!
LET LIVE!

LET LOVE BE LOUDER THAN FEAR!

[Final Refrain: stomping drums, crowd chant]

More mercy!

[Choir]
LESS REVENGE!

[Lead]
More listening!

[Choir]
LESS DEFENSE!

[Lead]
More patience!

[Choir]
LESS CONTEMPT!

[Lead]
More chances
To begin again!

[Choir]
BEGIN AGAIN!
BEGIN AGAIN!

[Outro: piano, soft choir]

[Lead]
We may never agree on everything

[Choir]
That’s all right

[Lead]
We may carry scars forever

[Choir]
Hold them light

[Lead]
But if tomorrow has a chance

It starts when we decide—

[Pause]

Fear doesn’t get
The final word.

[Soft Choir]
Love does.

[Final orchestral chord]