Fence Line

[Intro] [Verse 1] Stepped off the bus where the blacktop ends Daddy's truck was parked by the cattle fence Took my duffel, threw it in the bed Said, "North line's down," and that was all he said Two tours of sand still in my chest Three a.m. kept coming, and I couldn't make it stop But he put a spade in my hand at dawn Said, "Hold the line, son," and we walked on [Pre-Chorus] Three a.m. and the sheets are soaked Heart like a drum and the room is smoke But the barn light's on and the coffee's hot And Daddy says, "Come on, there's a gate to hang" [Chorus] Dig the hole, set the post, pull the wire tight Every post is another night Some days I set ten, some days I set one Daddy says, "Son, it all gets done" I used to run from the dark I couldn't see Now I walk a line that's holding me It's a long, long fence, but the wire's holding fine I'm doing it one post at a time [Verse 2] He never once asked what I saw out there Just showed me how to stretch the wire square How to sink a corner post down deep "A thing set right," he said, "will hold while you sleep" Annie pulled up at the end of the day In the same blue truck from our high school days Sat on the tailgate, never pushed or pried Just kept me company till the daylight died [Pre-Chorus] Three a.m. and my hands still shake But I can see her porch light from the gate Daddy's boots are on the barn floor And I'm not as alone as I was before [Chorus] Dig the hole, set the post, pull the wire tight Every post is another night Some days I set ten, some days I set one Daddy says, "Son, it all gets done" I used to run from the dark I couldn't see Now I walk a line that's holding me It's a long, long fence, but the wire's holding fine I'm doing it one post at a time [Guitar Solo] [Bridge] Then one October, I slept past the dawn Woke up scared, 'cause the dark was gone Daddy sat on the porch with his coffee cup Said, "Took you long enough to wake up" [Build] Out past the barn the whole line ran Four hundred posts and a father's hands A girl who waited, a girl who stayed And a soldier who finally found his way [Final Chorus] Dig the hole, set the post, pull the wire tight Every post was another night Some days I set ten, some days I set one Daddy said, "Son, it all gets done" I used to run from the dark I couldn't see Now I sleep till the morning finds me It's a long, long fence, and the wire's holding fine I did it one post at a time [Outro] Hold the line, hold the line Daddy's boots and her porch light shine One post at a time [End]