NYE in NOLA
Slow Growth, Quiet Fireworks, and the Mercy of Midnight
Video Credits: (License: Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed))
Night Rain Walk 16 JULY 2025
Creator: Alex Doscious - @Alex_Doscious
[Prelude]
[Verse 1]
We made it through another one
Confetti in the rear-view glass
Everybody swears at midnight
“This year I’m built to last”
But I still wear my old fears
Like a second-line parade
Same hopes, same ghosts, same heartbeat
Just a new year’s masquerade
[Pre-Chorus]
I wanted a clean slate
A miracle at 12:01
But the clock just kept on ticking
And I was still me when it was done
[Chorus]
So here’s to not becoming someone new
Here’s to carrying what’s true
Fireworks over muddy water
Sleeping early, dreaming longer
If this year don’t change my name
I’m still grateful all the same
Yeah, I’m right where I belong
NYE in NOLA, holding on
[Verse 2]
Took myself down to New Orleans
My favorite place to disappear
Crowds like a rising river
Joy tangled up with fear
Should I chase a party down
Or fade into the night
Or drink until I forget myself
And call that freedom for a while
[Pre-Chorus]
I walked the Vieux Carré alone
With neon in my eyes
Shrimp po-boy on my breath
Irish coffee over ice
[Chorus]
Here’s to wandering without a plan
A paper bag and trembling hands
Fireworks over the Mississippi
Fell asleep by 12:15
If nothing wild came true tonight
Nothing broke me either
I’m still here, still breathing strong
NYE in NOLA, moving on
[Bridge]
Stopped inside a candle-lit room
Tarot cards and incense smoke
Asked the future what it owed me
The cards just smiled and spoke
No great love, no sudden gold
No lightning strike, no fame
Just steady steps, a gentler road
And learning how to stay
[Chorus]
Here’s to wandering without a plan
A paper bag and trembling hands
Fireworks over the Mississippi
Fell asleep by 12:15
If nothing wild came true tonight
Nothing broke me either
I’m still here, still breathing strong
NYE in NOLA, moving on
[Verse 3]
A year of slow and steady ground
Of solitude and friends
Small wins stacking quietly
Where bigger dreams once end
New hobbies, softer mornings
A life that fits my skin
Maybe not the year I wished for
But the one I needed then
[Final Chorus]
So here’s to peace instead of proof
Here’s to growth that tells the truth
Fireworks don’t have to thunder
Sometimes light just fades to wonder
If my dreams stay just in sight
And my fears don’t come alive
I’ll take this calm, I’ll take this song
NYE in NOLA, still here, still strong
[Outro]
No reset button, no disguise
Just another dawn, open eyes
And that feels like more than enough
Tonight
[Coda]