Lyrics

[HIGHER WALLS]

[Intro]
[Warm acoustic guitar]

I was driving through a neighborhood
Not so different from the one where I grew up
The houses looked familiar
But something felt different somehow

The fences were taller
The gates were locked
And the front porches sat empty
Like nobody stopped to talk anymore

[Verse 1]

There was a time when summer evenings
Belonged to everybody on the street
Kids riding bikes until the streetlights flickered
Neighbors waving from across the street

You knew who needed help
You knew who needed prayer
A borrowed cup of sugar
Meant somebody cared

[Pre-Chorus]

Now everybody's rushing
Trying to make it through the day
Living side by side
But drifting miles away

[Chorus]

We built higher walls and bigger gates
Trying to keep our fears away
But somewhere along the road we lost
The simple things that made us strong

We traded front porch conversations
For cameras watching every door
Maybe what we're searching for
Ain't behind these higher walls anymore

[Verse 2]

The news tells us to be afraid
Of strangers we may never meet
Every headline draws another line
Between the people on our streets

We've got more locks than ever before
But somehow we feel less secure
Building walls around our houses
While our hearts are looking for a cure

[Pre-Chorus]

Maybe fear gets louder
When we stop hearing each other's names
Maybe we're all carrying burdens
That look a whole lot the same

[Chorus]

We built higher walls and bigger gates
Trying to keep our fears away
But somewhere along the road we lost
The simple things that made us strong

We traded front porch conversations
For cameras watching every door
Maybe what we're searching for
Ain't behind these higher walls anymore

[Bridge]

What if the dream was never about
Having the biggest house in town
Maybe it was knowing somebody
Would help you up when you fell down

Maybe the future we're all hoping for
Isn't something money buys
Maybe it's found in open hearts
Looking each other in the eyes

Maybe this country's still strongest
When we remember who we are
When neighbors become neighbors again
Instead of strangers from afar

[Instrumental Break]
[Acoustic guitar, piano, and soaring electric guitar]

[Final Chorus]
[Female harmonies enter]

We built higher walls and bigger gates
But love was never meant to hide
The strongest neighborhoods are built
When people stand side by side

Let's bring back front porch conversations
Let's learn each other's names once more
The American Dream is waiting
On the other side of these walls

The American Dream is waiting
On the other side of these walls

[Outro]
[Acoustic guitar and piano fade]

Maybe the strongest thing we'll ever build
Isn't a wall at all