(Intro) (A driving, upbeat rhythm. Acoustic guitars layered with a warm electric slide—it sounds like a celebration, full and bright.) Verse 1: The Landing I flew into the red dirt with a suitcase and a prayer Leaving Utah in the rearview, hanging in the air Crashed on a buddy’s couch, just a soldier out of place Until I moved into that RV, finding my own space Waiting for the house to sell, waiting for my wife Just a lonely white trailer at the edge of a new life But then the walls turned into halls, and the grass began to grow And I met two souls who taught me everything I needed to know. Verse 2: The New Generation Now I look at my boy, running through the yard Growing up in a place where the air don’t feel so hard When the neighbors call his name, it’s a sound I never knew He ain’t a shadow of me; he’s a light that’s breaking through He’s got a GeePaw and a Mimi just a couple doors down He’s a seed we finally planted in this red dirt ground And I realize the nomad life was just a long, winding road To find the place where I could finally unpack the load. Chorus I’m a Local Man now, standing on the council floor Looking at the faces, wondering who needs a little more From the Farmers Market dreams to the Summer Bash light I’m the one who stays to make sure everything’s right I know what it feels like to be a ghost in the street So I’m building a home where everyone can meet. Bridge: The Mission I listen to the makers, the dreamers, and the bold Turning every conversation into community gold I owe it to the folks who are looking for a sign To make this little city a place where they can shine Because I know the cold of a Navy town breeze And I’d rather be the roots than the wind in the trees. Outro Just a Local Man... Geronimo’s son... The moving is over... The building’s begun. (The building’s begun...)
