“Where the Old Trails Lead” — Original Lyrics Verse 1 There were boots by the door when I first came in, Dust on the floorboards, stories in the wind. Men with silver in their hair and fire in their eyes, Who’d ridden more miles than I could realize. They didn’t speak loud, but the room felt strong, Like the walls themselves had been singing all along. Verse 2 They showed me the compass, the square, and the light, How a man stands steady when the world ain’t right. Not by preaching, not by pride or show, But by walking the path they wanted me to know. Every step they’d taken left a mark in the grain, A map for a young man finding his name. Chorus And I follow where the old trails lead, Where the lantern glow meets a deeper need. In the quiet work, in the bonds we keep, In the lessons carved down long and deep. I’m a better man than I used to be, ’Cause they rode ahead and left the gate for me. Verse 3 Some nights I see them standing in that lodge hall haze, Shadows of cowboys from the earlier days. Not with spurs or pistols, but with steady hands, Building up brothers, building up men. And I carry their footsteps in the way I stand, Trying to honor the measure of a Mason’s brand. Final Chorus So I follow where the old trails lead, Where the lantern glow meets a deeper need. In the quiet work, in the bonds we keep, In the lessons carved down long and deep. If I rise at all, it’s on the strength they gave— Those old lodge cowboys, humble and brave.
