I’ve been up since before the sunrise, Cold coffee on the trailer step, Got arena dust all over my boots, And I ain’t even started yet. I check my cinch, pick up those reins, Climb on like I was born this way, Then I let the whole wide world disappear In the quiet before the gate. I know that feeling behind my eyes, I’ve already made that first ride. Every hard run, every lesson learned, I’m ’bout to leave it in the dirt tonight. In the quiet before the gate, I can hear my own heart beating. All those miles, all those scars, All those nights I kept believing. Then that latch swings wide, And my fear gives way to faith. There’s nothing but me and this horse Beyond the quiet before the gate. I was never made for sidelines, I was born with reins in my hands. I’ve hit the dirt and climbed back up, More times than I ever planned. Feed bills, entry fees and saddles, Lord knows what this dream has cost, But every mile feels worth it When me and that horse take off. I ain’t here just making circles, I came to ask this horse to stop. So when we turn toward that rundown, I give everything I’ve got. In the quiet before the gate, I can hear my own heart beating. All those miles, all those scars, All those nights I kept believing. Then that latch swings wide, And my fear gives way to faith. There’s nothing but me and this horse Beyond the quiet before the gate. Maybe tonight I nail that stop, Maybe tonight I won’t. Maybe that scoreboard gives me what I want, Maybe that damn thing don’t. But winning ain’t the only reason I keep hauling down this road. Some dreams get in your blood so deep You just can’t let ’em go. One more horse. One more show. One more rundown. One more road. I didn’t come this far to quit now— And everybody knows… I pull my hat down, take a breath, Pick up those reins and say, “Open the gate.” Let me run! Let that dirt fly high! Let the whole damn arena shake! I didn’t come this far to wonder why I came to leave it in the dirt tonight! In the quiet before the gate, That’s where grit and grace collide. Where every fall that brought me down Put more fire in my ride. When that latch swings wide, There ain’t a dream I wouldn’t chase I find out who I really am In the quiet before the gate. Tomorrow I’ll load that trailer, Coffee riding shotgun again. Another town. Another rundown. Another chance to chase that dream. Open the gate.
