Soul meets warm storytelling in this anthem about Mentoring the next generation of builders and unconventional thinkers, passing down what you've learned.
Inspired By
Mentoring the next generation of builders and unconventional thinkers, passing down what you've learned
This track comes from leadership earned through service, failures, and rebuilding — the long game of legacy. It tackles Mentoring the next generation of builders and unconventional thinkers, passing down what you've learned. The lyrics get specific — "From the first time you tried and the world said no" — because personal tracks on Majik's are personal for real, not performatively. The soul production matches the energy of the confession. It hits warm and encouraging, in that order. Every personal track in the catalogue comes from a real moment, a real feeling, a real person. This one is no exception.
[verse 1]
Hey young sailor, young coder, young whoever you are
Pulling up a chair with a question and a scar
From the first time you tried and the world said no
Let me tell you something that I wish someone told me long ago
The path you're on doesn't need to make sense to them
The unconventional route is not a problem, it's a gem
They'll say you need credentials, need a pedigree, a stamp
I built an empire from a laptop and a lamp
So sit down, listen close, and take what works for you
Leave the rest, that's all a mentor's supposed to do
[chorus]
I'm passing the torch to the ones who come next
The Navy kids, the coders, the beautifully perplexed
Take the flame, take the fire, take the lessons hard-won
I'm passing the torch, your race has just begun
And you'll run faster than I ever could
Because I cleared the path through the wood
Passing the torch, carry it far
You were always the real star
[verse 2]
I didn't have a mentor, had to Google my way through
Stack Overflow at midnight was my guru
But I promised if I ever made it to the other side
I'd hold the door and show the view from the divide
Between the wanting and the having, between the dream and done
So here I am, lesson one:
Do more with less, that's not just a motto on a wall
It's the most practical advice for anyone who's small
Competing with the giants, with the funded, with the blessed
Your constraints are your advantage, not your test
[chorus]
I'm passing the torch to the ones who come next
The Navy kids, the coders, the beautifully perplexed
Take the flame, take the fire, take the lessons hard-won
I'm passing the torch, your race has just begun
And you'll run faster than I ever could
Because I cleared the path through the wood
Passing the torch, carry it far
You were always the real star
[bridge]
Lesson two: ship it, don't wait for perfect
Lesson three: the grind is always worth it
Lesson four: find your Folly Beach, your quiet place
Lesson five: the imposter syndrome's lying to your face
Lesson six: the people matter more than products
Lesson seven: there is no lesson seven
Just keep going, keep building, keep showing up
The torch is lit, now fill your cup
[verse 3]
And when you've built your thing and the torch feels heavy
Find the next kid at the keyboard who's not ready
But willing, always willing, that's the sign
The same sign I showed up with, the same shine
In the eyes of someone who knows they're meant for more
Hand them the flame and tell them what it's for
Not for glory, not for ego, not for fame
But for the kid who comes after you with the same
Hunger, the same doubt, the same five AM alarm
Passing the torch keeps the whole chain warm
From sailor to coder to founder to friend
The torch keeps passing, the story doesn't end
[chorus]
I'm passing the torch to the ones who come next
The Navy kids, the coders, the beautifully perplexed
Take the flame, take the fire, take the lessons hard-won
I'm passing the torch, your race has just begun
And you'll run faster than I ever could
Because I cleared the path through the wood
Passing the torch, carry it far
You were always the real star
[outro]
Take it
The flame is yours now
Run with it
And don't forget to pass it on