[INSTRUMENTATION:] [Guitars: gritty twang electric riff, light tremolo, palm muted pulses in verse, slide fills on turnarounds, short feedback tails] [Bass: steady resonant line, locked to kick, warm low mids, no sub smear] [Drums: sparse kick and rim snare, occasional floor tom, minimal cymbals, tight transient snap] [Key: low growling organ pad, swells on choruses and turnarounds, do not dominate guitars] [LYRICS LOCKED] [Intro: vocal: none, grit:0, doubles: off, adlibs: none, placement: buried 16, V vs B, -3.0, edits: tight, breaths: none] [Instrumental: gritty twang electric riff, steady resonant bass, sparse kick and rim, long spring reverb tails, slide accents, low organ pad] [Verse 1: vocal: deep baritone, grit:35, doubles: off, adlibs: none, placement: buried 10, V vs B, +0.0, edits: tight, breaths: natural] Dusty road, sun beating down I feel the weight of this tired town I got nothing left but these worn clothes Another dead end, another hard blow [Chorus: vocal: gravel baritone, grit:50, doubles: on, adlibs: sparse, placement: buried 9, V vs B, +0.8, edits: tight, breaths: natural] The blues are not a life sentence, son It is one verse, not the last one Do not quit when you are losing the fight Dig in your heels, hold on tight [Turnaround: vocal: none, grit:0, doubles: off, adlibs: none, placement: buried 18, V vs B, -4.0, edits: tight, breaths: none] [Instrumental: 2 bars, slide fill, organ swell, then cut] [Verse 2: vocal: deep baritone softer, grit:25, doubles: off, adlibs: none, placement: buried 11, V vs B, -0.2, edits: tight, breaths: natural] They say hope is a fools game I hear that line, I hear that name I been knocked down, I hit the dirt I keep my hands moving, I take the hurt [Chorus: vocal: gravel baritone stronger, grit:55, doubles: on, adlibs: sparse, placement: buried 9, V vs B, +0.8, edits: tight, breaths: natural] The blues are not a life sentence, son It is one verse, not the last one Do not quit when you are losing the fight Dig in your heels, hold on tight [Turnaround: vocal: none, grit:0, doubles: off, adlibs: none, placement: buried 18, V vs B, -4.0, edits: tight, breaths: none] [Instrumental: 2 bars, low riff, slide answer, organ growl, long tail] [Bridge: vocal: spoken word, grit:20, doubles: off, adlibs: none, placement: buried 12, V vs B, -0.3, edits: tight, breaths: natural] I lost money and I lost time I slept in cold rooms, I stood in lines I kept my boots on, I stayed awake I waited for morning, I did not break [Final Chorus: vocal: full baritone push, grit:60, doubles: on, adlibs: minimal, placement: buried 8, V vs B, +1.0, edits: tight, breaths: natural] The blues are not a life sentence, son It is one verse, not the last one Do not quit when you are losing the fight Dig in your heels, hold on tight [Outro: vocal: fade baritone, grit:20, doubles: off, adlibs: none, placement: buried 14, V vs B, -1.0, edits: tight, breaths: natural] Hold on tight, hold on tight The dawn is coming, hold on tight
