[Iron Skies and Soil] [ Verse 1 ] The winter wheat is frozen in the red clay dirt, I’m standing by the fenceline where the briars hurt. My father’s father’s name is carved upon the gate, I’m staring at the valley while the shadows wait. [ Pre-Chorus 1 ] The banjo rings out like a warning sign, Tracing every knot along the bloodline. [ Chorus 1 ] What’s written in the marrow cannot be denied, There is no open place for any man to hide. The debt is older than the breath I take today, Cost of living is the price I have to pay. [ Verse 2 ] I thought about the city and the life I'd find, I tried to leave the ghosts of home far behind. The thrumming cello warns of what I have to do, The cold voice whispers: it's not always about you. [ Pre-Chorus 2 ] The gravel crunches underneath my heavy boot, Deep inside the timber lives a bitter root. [ Chorus 2 ] The weight of history is resting on my back, The sky above is turning from a grey to black. When duty calls, the heart is second to the name, To walk away would be a final, holy shame. [Instrumental Break - Blazing Electric Guitar Solo] [ Bridge 1 ] I stand beneath the iron skies and mountain fog, The world is silent like a fire-hollowed log. I trade my spirit for the debt within the soil, Accepting every gallon of heavy toil. [ Verse 3 ] Back to the cabin, lantern flickering low, My hands are calloused from the seeds I sow. The ancestors are watching from the porch and stair, I feel them in the static of the freezing air. [ Pre-Chorus 3 ] The banjo's chime is cutting through the valley mist, Duty is a lover with a heavy fist. [ Chorus 3 ] You give yourself away until there’s nothing left, The soul is just a pocket that’s been picked by theft. We belong to something more than our desires, We feed the flame until we’re taken by the fires. [ Bridge 2 ] Make your mind up, no excuses, hear them say, The choice was made before I ever saw the day. My reflection in the well is just a stranger’s face, Locked inside the ritual of this hollow place. [ Verse 4 ] I reach out for the handle of the rusted spade, I won't regret the promise that my fathers made. A whisper tells me: don't just think about yourself, Put your little dreams back on the dusty shelf. [ Pre-Chorus 4 ] The cello moans a rhythm that I’ve always known, Harder than the mountain, colder than a stone. [ Final Chorus ] The soil is sovereign and the blood is always thick, The clock is slowing with every heavy tick. I am the vessel for the work that must be done, My will is broken and the legacy has won. [ Outro ] Into the fog I disappear, Silence is the only thing I hear, Grim resolve, Mountain fog.
