[Title: Once a Stray] [Verse 1] With a bindle on my shoulder, boots worn thin I chose the life that most won't begin I dreamt of being a tramp, truly free But freedom always brings a fee Behind the next dump, the next old yard Dangers wait and hit you hard A sudden shadow, a twisted blade A deal you made that won't get paid [Pre-Chorus] But I think of the laughter around a fire Friends who shared my one desire And the rush of a love that burned too fast A lightning strike that couldn't last [Chorus] Once a stray, always a stray There's no road back, there's no other way I've known fear and I've known grace With the dust of the world upon my face Once a stray, always a stray I'll walk it out 'til my final day [Verse 2] I've slept in the glow of a millionaire's porch And shivered alone with just a torch I've loved a queen for a single night And left before the morning light But I've also loved with all my soul A gentle touch that made me whole For a week, a month, a fleeting stay Then we both just walked away [Bridge] And there ain't no map for what I need Just a hunger, a wanderlust seed Behind every heap of rust and bone Lies something wild, something unknown My heart beats fast, I taste the fear But the open sky always draws me near [Chorus] Once a stray, always a stray There's no road back, there's no other way I've known laughter, I've known pain I've danced in sunshine, knelt in rain Once a stray, always a stray I'll walk it out 'til my final day [Outro] No return... no return... The road just burns and burns... Once a stray... Always a stray...
