[Intro] [distorted electric guitar chugging riff, drum fill] [Verse 1] [bass and drums enter] Samuel's vision in 1836 A remedy for trouble that no lock could fix From the hills of the homestead to the dusty corral It sat on the hip of a man who meant well Defending the timber, the wheat and the herd Where the crack of the barrel was the final word [Chorus] [full band intensity increases] Oh, the Patterson's heavy, but the burden is light When you're standing alone in the dead of the night Pass it down through the bloodline, keep the powder dry For the land and the living under a wide open sky Every time the hammer fell, the story took flight Another page for the book, another win for the right [Verse 2] [palm-muted guitar riff] The ink-faded brown on a century of grit Stories of neighbors and the courage they lit Against the crooked badges and the thieves in the dark The Patterson found 'em and it left its mark Grandfather rode to the raid at the gate Father described how he stared down his fate Protecting the family, the barn and the soul With five little chambers keeping us whole [Pre-Chorus] [half-time feel, sustained guitar chords] But turn to the center where the paper is torn Two entries are written in a handful of more Two pages not penned by the man with the gun But by the survivors when the shootout was done (Hey!) [Bridge] [aggressive drum beat, rapid guitar stabs] On those two grim days the luck didn't hold The favor of heaven wasn't meant for the bold The other hand was faster, the lead was too true And the family book bled for the ones we once knew [Guitar Solo] [wah-pedal filtered lead guitar, fast melodic runs] [Verse 3] [drums drop to steady kick, bass pulse] Now it sits in the cabinet under lock and under key The iron ghost of our history It don't come out for a grudge or a will More only when the shadows are looking too grim The elders they gather, they weigh out the cost The majority votes on almost what's lost If the gavel falls heavy, the Patterson's drawn And we pray that the shooter comes home with the dawn [Outro] [building intensity, double-kick drums] Open the ledger to the diagram page Where the ink meets the grease of a different age You gotta pull the wedge, let the barrel slide free Reveal the hidden heart of our history No trigger guard here, just a blade in the frame That pops from the belly when you call on its name The book says: Mind the cylinder, keep the nipples clear Pack the ball tight for there's no room for fear Check every groove, wipe the carbon away Then lock it back solid for the judgment day [Chorus] Oh, the Patterson's heavy, but the burden is light When you're standing alone in the dead of the night Pass it down through the bloodline, keep the powder dry For the land and the living under a wide open sky Every time the hammer fell, the story took flight Another page for the book, another win for the right [Ending] [final power chord, drum crash] Slide the wedge home Feel the click Now write!
