[Verse 1: Blues-rock male lead, raw gritty blues-rock vocal over a heavy overdriven riff] Shelter had a sign on him that said he wasn't good with men Bishop had a head like a cinderblock and a tail that wouldn't end First mornin' in the house he had his nose against my ear Six a.m. and draggin' me like he'd been waitin' there a year I didn't want a walk, I didn't want to see the street I was sleepin' off a bad year and a bottle on the sheets But he had the leash between his teeth and he was standin' on my chest So I put my boots on, cursin', and I went out half dressed [Hook: blues-rock male lead, full drums, overdriven riff, screaming lead guitar] Every mornin' six a.m., you'd drag me out the door Two miles every day for nine years, rain or shine or sore Now I'm off the leash and runnin' wild, and nobody's pullin' back It was never you I walked, boy, you were keepin' me on track [Verse 2: blues-rock male lead, harder, screaming lead guitar answering] Past the bakery and the bridge and down along the river path Bishop stoppin' every lamppost like he's doin' all the math Year I lost the house, he walked me out of that apartment too Year I couldn't get up, he would bark until I knew Nine years, two miles, I could run it in my sleep Every crack in every sidewalk and the mud that got too deep Never missed a single mornin', not in snow and not in heat Turns out every step I took was him just keepin' me on my feet [Hook: blues-rock male lead, full drums, overdriven riff, screaming lead guitar] Every mornin' six a.m., you'd drag me out the door Two miles every day for nine years, rain or shine or sore Now I'm off the leash and runnin' wild, and nobody's pullin' back It was never you I walked, boy, you were keepin' me on track [Verse 3: blues-rock male lead, the riff gets heavier, vocal raw] Woke up Tuesday six a.m. without a single sound No nose against my ear and no tail thumpin' on the ground Put the collar in my pocket, laced the boots up anyway Ran the loop the way he ran it, every lamppost, every day [Bridge: blues-rock male lead, collar jingle, everything drops to a dog collar jingling on its own, then the riff and drums come roaring back] Hear him in my pocket on the bridge Bishop, I'm still out here, boy, I'm still out here [Final Hook: blues-rock male lead, full drums, overdriven riff, screaming lead guitar, roaring] Every mornin' six a.m., you'd drag me out the door Two miles every day for nine years, rain or shine or sore Now I'm off the leash and runnin' wild, and nobody's pullin' back It was never you I walked, boy, you were keepin' me on track [End]
