(Verse 1) Band hit hard around half past ten That’s when he walked through the smoke again Black hat low and his boots worn thin Like trouble itself just walked on in He went straight to the dance floor slow Like he already knew where the night would go One step hit and the whole room turned Like every soul in there felt the burn (Pre-Chorus) Old bartender muttered under his breath “Lord… there goes another one yet…” (Chorus) It’s the dead man’s two-step Bootheels echo like a cigarette death wish One spin closer to the edge tonight One slow dance underneath blood-red lights Women fall and cowboys stare Like he’s pulling lost souls outta thin air Every jukebox ghost knows his name When the dead man two-steps through the flames (Verse 2) Girl in red let him pull her near Laughing like she didn’t taste the fear But every old-timer by the bar looked away Like they’d seen this dance end bad someday Fiddle screamed while the hardwood shook Nobody breathing when he gave that look Like he carried every sin he’d ever done And wore ‘em all like a loaded gun (Pre-Chorus) Some say heartbreak made him this way Some say he died long ago anyway (Chorus) It’s the dead man’s two-step Black smoke rising where the boots connect One more whiskey one more sin One more soul getting pulled back in Neon saints and midnight prayers Can’t save hearts once he gets there Every broken dream burns the same When the dead man two-steps through the flames (Bridge) Then the music stopped all at once Like the whole damn room forgot to breathe Girl in red stood there alone Like she’d just woke from a fever dream He tipped his hat and turned away Bootheels slow against the floor And every eye in that dancehall watched him Heading toward the open door (Breakdown) Outside the night rolled black and still Thunder growling past the hill Then came that engine low and deep Like something waking underneath A demonic red Bronco sat glowing in the rain Headlights burning like the devil’s eyes again Engine rumbling with a hungry roar Like hell itself parked outside that door (Final Chorus) It’s the dead man’s two-step Last call dancing with the damned yet One more heartbreak one more lie One more sinner underneath those lights He climbed inside and the tires screamed Smoke rolling thick like a nightmare dream And somewhere far beyond the neon haze The dead man disappeared into the flames (Outro) Now every Friday when the fiddle cries And the neon bleeds across the night Folks still whisper when the floorboards shake… “Don’t look now…” “The dead man’s back…”
