The Air Smells Alive

The thaw is slow, but it's creeping in, I smell the rain before it begins. Worms on the sidewalk, fresh-cut grass, The kind of air that pulls you back. A breeze that hums in major chords, Like a song I swear I've heard before. The buds burst open, the floodgates break, I take a breath, and I'm awake. And oh, the air smells alive, Like something waiting, something wild. Just breathing reminds me why I... I know I’m home, I know I’m right where I belong. July rolls in like a marching band, Thunder cracks as we hold hands. Pavement burns, but I don’t care, ‘Cause you can taste adventure in the air. Bonfire smoke and gasoline, The night is thick, it's my caffeine. Crickets sing, cicadas scream, The kind of air that makes me believe. And oh, the air smells alive, Like something waiting, something wild. Just breathing reminds me why I... I know I’m home, I know I’m right where I belong. The first cold snap is a welcome ghost, Sweater-clad in a golden glow. Crisp as cider, sharp as pain, The kind of air that calls your name. Dying leaves still smell so sweet, Like a love that’s meant to leave. I remember her as leaves blow past, The kind of air that makes it last. And oh, the air smells alive, Like something waiting, something wild. Just breathing reminds me why I... I know I’m home, I know I’m right where I belong. Snow falls soft like a held-back sigh, Ice on the lake, streetlights shine. The cold bites deep, but it’s not unkind, The kind of air that clears your mind. The sky so wide, it swallows you, The quiet hum, the frozen blue. The Midwest sleeps, but still it breathes, The kind of air that sets her free. And oh, the air smells alive, Like something waiting, something wild. Just breathing reminds me why I... I know I’m home, I know I’m right where I— Right where I belong, where the cornfields wave, Where the storms roll in and the skies turn gray. Where the nights burn bright with fire and ice, The air smells alive, yeah, it makes me thrive!