Tempered Vow

[Verse 1]
The peeling paint above my bed, a world I couldn't see,
Except for faded heroes, staring back at me.
From cold concrete and factory hum, a future took its hold,
A vow I hammered out, brave and bold.

[Chorus]
That tempered vow, a molten core,
Still burns within, forevermore.
Against the rust, a heart of steel,
This iron spirit, I still feel.

[Verse 2]
They spoke of grit, of silent strength, a path I had to find,
Beyond the fences, past the length of shadows left behind.
A distant whistle cut the night, a freight train passing slow,
Carrying all the yearning, where the river currents flow.

[Chorus]
That tempered vow, a molten core,
Still burns within, forevermore.
Against the rust, a heart of steel,
This iron spirit, I still feel.

[Bridge]
Every weld, every spark, every long-fought gain,
Etched into the marrow, washed clean by the rain.
This isn't just a memory, or a dream that went astray,
It's the very forge that made me, on this triumphant day.

[Chorus]
That tempered vow, a molten core,
Still burns within, forevermore.
Against the rust, a heart of steel,
This iron spirit, I still feel.

[Outro]
Still pushing forward, breaking ground,
The future's rumble, all around.