[Intro - close-mic’d, nearly whispered; low female contralto; sparse G-D-G-D baritone acoustic with slow Travis picking; distant chain rattle; long spaces between phrases] There’s a road that runs through these mountains Where the black pines meet the sky, And I’ve walked it through the darkest nights With the moon as my only light. I’ve got scars beneath my clothing, Got some ghosts I never name, But every time this old world tried to break me, I came back breathing just the same. [Verse 2 - clawhammer banjo enters quietly; deep upright bass pulses underneath; fiddle gives a single mournful response after each couplet] I have buried things I loved here, Watched the seasons take their turn, Learned some lessons from the ashes That you only learn when you burn. There are things I won’t remember, There are things I can’t forget, But the ground ain’t got me yet, no, The ground ain’t got me yet. [Pre-Chorus - mountain dulcimer begins trembling underneath; tempo and tension slowly rise; boot stomp enters on the final two lines] Let the thunder shake the ridgeline, Let the rain come pouring down, I’ve been standing in the storm so long I know it like my hometown. [Chorus - full but restrained explosion; Scruggs banjo, fiddle, upright bass, tremolo baritone, handclaps and stomps; vocal becomes powerful and chest-dominant] You can dig my grave, You can strike that match, You can lay me down And cover me in black. You can carve my name In a stone that’s cold and gray, But this heart still beats, And it won’t be still today. I’ve been bent, I’ve been broken, I’ve been dragged through hell and back, But the mountain knows my footsteps And it knows I won’t stay flat. [Brief stop - everything cuts except one low acoustic note and a breath] I ain’t buried yet. [Verse 3 - pull everything back; fretless gourd banjo and dulcimer; intimate vocal; occasional bones clicking softly] I’ve known hunger, I’ve known heartbreak, I’ve known nights that wouldn’t end, I’ve watched people turn to strangers, I’ve watched strangers become friends. And I’ve stood beside the people Who could see me through the pain, When I couldn’t see the road ahead, They helped me rise again. [Pre-Chorus - fiddle enters with rising sustained notes; hurdy-gurdy begins a low drone; floor toms build like distant thunder] So let the church bells keep on ringing, Let the old oak groan and sway, I’ve got another mile inside me, I’ve got something left to say. [Chorus - larger; banjo rolls harder, fiddle doubles vocal phrases, bones and spoons enter, deep piano strikes underneath] You can dig my grave, You can strike that match, You can lay me down And cover me in black. You can carve my name In a stone that’s cold and gray, But this heart still beats, And it won’t be still today. I’ve been bent, I’ve been broken, I’ve been dragged through hell and back, But the mountain knows my footsteps And it knows I won’t stay flat. [Stop - sudden silence except breath] I ain’t buried yet. [Bridge - stripped down; deep piano, tremolo baritone and hurdy-gurdy drone; vocal intimate and fierce] There’ll come a day When these bones give out, When these hands can’t hold What they’re holding now. But until that day Comes knocking at my door, I’m gonna rise from every ruin Like I’ve risen before. [Build - whispered vocal becomes increasingly forceful; galloping floor toms, chain rattle, boot stomps and handclaps gradually accelerate; fiddle climbs; banjo rolls intensify] So bring me your darkness, Bring me your rain, Bring me every memory That still carries my name. I have walked through the fire, I have slept in the cold, And every year this life has taken Has left me stronger, not old. [Final Chorus - MASSIVE WIDESCREEN EXPLOSION; all instruments layered together; raw close-mic’d barn-session energy; fiddle, upright bass, banjo, hurdy-gurdy, dulcimer, tremolo baritone and bones all burning together] You can dig my grave, You can strike that match, You can lay me down And cover me in black. You can carve my name In a stone that’s cold and gray, But this heart still beats, And it won’t be still today! I’ve been bent, I’ve been broken, I’ve been dragged through hell and back, But the mountain knows my footsteps And it knows I won’t stay flat! [Final Refrain - all seven instruments raging together; bones and handclaps driving the rhythm; fiddle screaming above the ensemble; vocal raw, full chest voice] I ain’t buried! I ain’t buried! I ain’t buried yet! [Final hit - everything stops except one trembling fiddle note and a single boot stomp] I ain’t buried yet.
