Verdigris Line

[Verse 1]
The rust on the Verdigris River Trestle
flakes off on your thumb like a broken promise.
You test the first tie with a scuffed-up Red Wing boot,
wondering if this is bravery or just dishonest.

[Chorus]
You walk the line on borrowed time,
high above the water, low in your mind.
Just a straight-shot scar across the sky,
lookin' for a reason why.

[Verse 2]
Jii-chan said, "Shikata ga nai," that one Tuesday,
and wiped persimmon dust off the F-150 dash.
You were seventeen, thought he meant the summer drought,
not the joints in a heart that are built to never last.

[Chorus]
And you walk the line on borrowed time,
high above the water, low in your mind.
Just a straight-shot scar across the sky,
lookin' for a reason why.

[Bridge]
The smell of creosote and cheap Lone Star beer…
you can almost hear her laughin', "Don't you dare."
But that sound's just the wind through a rivet-hole splice,
and you're the only ghost up here tonight.

[Chorus]
Yeah, you walk the line on borrowed time,
high above the water, low in your mind.
Just a straight-shot scar across the sky,
lookin' for a reason why.

[Outro]
That grain of rust under your nail.
Another busted dovetail.