YALLA HABIBI

TYLER J

The Story

Yalla habibi… Come close, habibi… I wanna tell you somethin'… Listen… Imagine no wars, no names on our heads Just laughter on balconies, breakin' fresh bread From Beirut to Gaza, Damascus nights glow We welcome you in before you even say hello Tabbouleh, hummus, fattoush on the side Lahm meshwe smokin', yeah the whole room alive Dinner time sacred, we gather as one Stories and music that never get done They don't see roots, they don't see the base From cedar wood ships that would sail every place Phoenicians mapped oceans, wrote letters in sand Gave the world alphabets, now they don't understand Spices we cook with, flavors that stay Cinnamon winds that we carried their way From ports to the world, yeah we opened the trade Now they rewrite the story like the past never stayed Don't judge us… just come through… Feel the vibe… we got you… One night… you'll understand… Who we are… from this land… Yalla habibi, come eat, come hang, come dance Let the darbake beat put you in a trance Mijwiz cry, let it touch your soul From the heart of the Levant, lose control Yalla habibi, don't think, just feel Every step, every clap, yeah it's all real From the food to the sound, take a chance Yalla habibi… come eat, come dance They label us wrong but we still show love Turn pain into rhythm, rise above No opportunity? still we create Built from the ground, yeah we elevate From Tyre to Byblos, stories run deep Knowledge we carried across every sea Modern ships echo the paths that we made Trade routes, ideas—yeah foundations were laid Ring ring—allo, hear the past callin' Legacy loud, never really fallin' They took kindness, tried to make it seem weak But intelligence live in the way that we speak Hate brings hate, yeah we seen that before But we open up kitchens, not doors to war If you sat at our table, you'd understand Why we fight just to live on our land Clap slow… feel that beat in your chest now Step close… we ain't leavin' yet now Voices rise… hear the crowd get loud now One step… then another—watch how… YALLA! Yalla habibi, where the mellleh? let's go! Lahm meshwe, dinner time—yeah we steal the show Nothin' like mama's home cookin', you know Full course, fresh Mediterranean flow Yalla habibi, come eat, come hang, come dance Let the darbake beat put you in a trance Mijwiz cry, let it touch your soul Stomp it out—let the whole world know! Yalla habibi, come eat, come hang, come dance Let the darbake beat put you in a trance Mijwiz cry, let it touch your soul From the Levant we rise—lose control Yalla habibi, hands up, don't stop Clap clap—feel that heartbeat drop From the past to the future we advance Yalla habibi… come eat, come dance Yeah… From the first letters… To every word you say… Habibi… you home…