Chopper Glow

[Intro – hazy, distant hum] Dust sticks to my sweat-stained skin Night air tastes like old gin [Verse 1 – weary, gritty] Boots caked red in mud and clay Counting days till I can stray From the wire that marks the line Where the quiet and the chaos collide [Pre-Chorus – tightening, anxious] Radio crackles static lies Waitin’ for the morning light Every shadow feels like a threat Prayin’ I ain’t next to forget [Chorus 1 – raw, longing] Choppers flyin’ over head Flashes burn the night to red I trace the crease of your old letter Wonder if you still remember The way we danced beneath the oak Home’s a dream I can’t evoke [Interlude, Instrumental Solo – distorted guitar wail, harmonica cry] [Verse 2 – hollow, yearning] Canteen’s dry, my hands shake bad Think of the meal my mom had Left on the stove the day I left Steamin’ corn bread, no regret I trace the name carved in my rifle stock Wonder if I’ll ever walk The porch where our old dog used to lay Chasin’ fireflies at the end of day [Pre-Chorus 2 – frayed, desperate] Mortars boom beyond the tree line I press my back against the pine Stare at the photo in my pocket Prayin’ this ain’t my final socket [Chorus 2 – amplified, broken] Choppers flyin’ over head Flashes tear the night to red I kiss the edge of your faded picture Wonder if you still picture The way we laughed through summer rain Home’s a song I can’t sustain [Bridge – soft, fragile] I close my eyes and see your face In the dark, it’s my only grace Every chopper’s distant roar Makes me ache for just one more Hug from you, one quiet night Away from the endless fight [Final Chorus – full, raw intensity] Choppers flyin’ over head Flashes burn the night to red I clutch your letter till my knuckles bleed Wonder if you’ll ever read The words I scribbled in the dirt Beneath the sky that won’t revert To the blue I knew back home Where the quiet’s not just a loan [Outro – fading, hollow] Chopper glow fades to gray I count the stars till break of day