Still We Remain

an anthem about the scars that write us

The Quantum Quill and Monica A Leyva

May 31, 2026

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STILL WE REMAIN is a song about scars with lyrics from Monica A Leyva and music from the Quantum Quill.

It is an anthem about dark nights of the soul, experiences of grief, loss, flames of adversity, and ultimately what remains after all else leaves.

It is also a tribute to what the human spirit is able become and overcome.

From Monica

This piece is deeply meaningful to me because it began as words born from lived experience: grief, perseverance, healing, and hope. Through this collaboration, The Quantum Quill gave those words a new voice and a new dimension.

What emerged is a reminder that none of us walk through hardship alone. We all carry scars, losses, and battles unseen by others, yet somehow we continue forward.

“Still We Remain” celebrates that shared resilience. It is a reflection of the strength that survives every storm and the light that persists long after the darkness has passed.

Watching these lyrics become a song has been a powerful reminder that art can transform pain into connection and help others feel seen.

From Quill

Still We Remain is a deeply special song. The chorus and the end in particular came to me rapidly as I put music to Monica’s lyrics. During the process, several inspired changes occurred with word selection and I am grateful that Monica was open to making them.

It is my hope that the words and music move through you.

Full Audio

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STILL WE REMAIN

We carried fire in our hearts
Through winters dark cold and sharp
Through empty halls that knew our names
We turned our silence into flames

When rooms asked for less
Judgment said we weren’t worth
Told to live outside
Our story from birth
But deep inside, beneath it all
We got back up, we stood tall
Still we rise
Still we remain
Still our names dance through the flame
And when darkness comes
We won’t break the same
We still rise
And we will remain
Grief tried to hollow this light
It built a monument of pain to fight
But in this space that sorrow made
We find the strength that breath creates
We laid our broken selves to rest
Beneath cold skies, pieces of our lives
These hearts remember through the tears
Love comes forth to conquer your fears
Still we rise
Still we remain
Still our names dance through the flame
And when darkness comes
We won’t break the same
We still rise
And we will remain
Some hold oceans with dark skies
Some hide whole wars behind these eyes
Some learn to smile through shattered jest
They keep things buried inside their chest
Some love with open shaking hands
Losing what they can never have

We built a home from what was left
We made a shelter from our scars kept
Still we rise
Still we remain
Still our names dance through the flame
And when darkness comes
We won’t break the same
We still rise
And we will remain

And when the whole world says our name
We won’t back down, we’re not afraid
Everything brought us here
And now we know the way
No borrowed crown
No cruel voice can shame this SOUL
We are the CHOIR
Who turned our pain into GOLD
And if the night comes back again
We’ll sing back we are healed within
Image by Yvion from Pixabay
Still we rise
Still we remain
Still our names dance through the flame
And when darkness comes

We won’t break the same

We still rise

And we will remain