The Only Nail

[Verse 1]
The old water tower still wears its rust like a crown
And the main street cracks are still plumb where the rain runs down.
Sunrise ain't shifted a single beam since I left this place
Just a little more wear on my boots, a little more lines on my face.

[Chorus]
I'm the only nail that bent, the only timber new
This town's still built on bedrock, solid, strong, and true.
I came back lookin' for a ghost, but found the frame I knew.
Guess the only thing that's different here is me, not you.

[Verse 2]
The creek still hums the same old tune past the mill site gate,
Heard a distant whistle cry, a coal train running late.
Old man Johnson's porch swing still keeps its crooked state,
He's still tellin' tales of coal dust, just like ten years ago,
While the new steel mill's foundation stands where the old creek used to flow.

[Bridge]
I chased a dream on scaffolding, high above the ground,
Built it up with honest sweat, never looked around.
Thought I'd come back a cornerstone, a brand new kind of stone,
But the beauty of this old valley, is it doesn't build alone.

[Outro]
Yeah, the only nail that bent, found its way back home.
Stronger now, right where I belong.