[Verse 1: Cinematic-rock male lead, steady breathing] I was fast once, they said Olympic, said I'd never lose a step Then my knee went at the trials and I found out what was left Bottle in the morning, bottle in the evening too Till a flyer at the clinic said a blind man needs a crew Guide runner wanted, Saturday, six in the morning, at the track I showed up hungover and I nearly turned my back Samuel stood there smiling with a rope around his wrist Said you're late, I heard you coming, now let's see if you can lift [Chorus: Cinematic-rock male lead, full force] Hold the rope and I'll be your eyes Step for step until the finish line In and in and out, we breathe the same Hold the rope and I'll be your eyes [Verse 2: Cinematic-rock male lead, breath sync, phrases in the runners' rhythm] Every morning at six he called me, every morning I'd pick up Said you sound like last night, Ray, go pour it out and fill a cup Taught me how to call the curbs and how to call the turn Taught me how to count the breaths until the burning doesn't burn Mile by mile he got faster and I didn't need a drink Rope between us like a wire that told me what he'd think Twenty miles in winter and then twenty-two in spring I was guiding him through every street and he was guiding everything [Chorus: Cinematic-rock male lead, full force] Hold the rope and I'll be your eyes Step for step until the finish line In and in and out, we breathe the same Hold the rope and I'll be your eyes [Bridge: Cinematic-rock male lead, rising] Mile twenty-five my knee gave out the way it did before I went down on the asphalt and I couldn't take no more Samuel knelt beside me and he found me by the rope Said I can't see where we're going, Ray, but I can hear you hope Get up Get up Get up [Verse 3: Cinematic-rock male lead, triumphant] He pulled me to my feet and put the rope back on my hand Said you call the road, I'll set the pace, you know I understand Last mile, crowd is screaming, I am limping, he is strong Every breath in rhythm and the both of us are moving on Crossed the line together and I fell into his arms Said I came to be your eyes, man, and you kept me out of harm He just laughed and said I knew it from the first day at the track Every rope's got two ends, Ray, and I was pulling you back [Final Chorus: Cinematic-rock male lead, the whole band breathing with them] Hold the rope and I'll be your eyes Step for step until the finish line In and in and out, we breathe the same Hold the rope and I'll be your eyes [End]
