[Verse 1 – sparse, just guitar and pad] My daddy drove these streets at night Radio low, high beams for light He'd point out where the mill still stands Said "this town runs through your hands" I sat up front, too young to know The weight behind the word "hometown" [Verse 2 – organ enters, soft] Main street windows boarded gray Where the jobs and the young folks used to stay He'd grip the wheel a little tight Say "it wasn't always black and white" There was a fire here once, burning bright Now it's just embers in the streetlight [Chorus – harmonies layer in] Fire, fire, in the heart of this town Some folks build it, some folks burn it down I don't know if I'm the leaving kind Or the one who stays and keeps the flame alive Fire, fire, tell me what you see Is this the place that's gonna set me free [Verse 3 – fuller drums, synth hook rises] Now I'm the one behind the wheel Same cracked road, same diesel smell My boy's up front, eyes open wide Askin' questions I can't hide I hear my father in my voice Tellin' him it's still his choice [Bridge – organ swells, restrained] Do you stay for the ones who need you here Or chase the fire to somewhere clear Every generation asks the same Is this a hometown or a chain [Final Chorus – full harmonies, still restrained] Fire, fire, in the heart of this town Some folks build it, some folks burn it down He don't know if he's the leaving kind Or the one who stays and keeps the flame alive Fire, fire, I see it in his eyes The same old question, the same goodbye [Outro – stripped back to pad and guitar, voice trailing] "Is this the place that sets you free, son... ...or the fire that keeps you home" (synth pad holds, fades slow, no resolution)
