IRON & GRIT (OUTLAW COUNTRY) - Levi Stoker
Morning whistle cuts the sky
Black smoke rolls where the red sparks fly
Sulfur hangs in the break of dawn
Another shift before the sun is born
Grease runs deep in these calloused hands
Steel-toed boots on trembling land
Aching shoulders, weathered skin
The furnace calls, I walk back in
The hammer sings against the flame
Every scar remembers my name
The gears awake, the chains all shake
The old mill breathes till the rafters quake
One deep breath, then I stand tall
A working soul won't ever fall
Iron and grit, that's the blood I bleed
Fire and sweat, that's all I need
Strike that steel till the daylight's gone
Stand my ground, keep it rolling on
No silver spoon ever built these hands
Just honest work and honest stands
When the whistle blows, you'll know my name
Iron and grit, we're built the same
Coal dust settles on my shirt
Every paycheck carries dirt
My brother laughs through broken breath
We stare down danger, stare down death
Picture frames inside my mind
Children waiting, supper time
That's enough to pull the chain
Lift the load and bear the strain
The iron rings like an old church bell
Heaven knows this life too well
The engine roar, the pistons cry
Smoke keeps climbing to the sky
Heartbeats hard beneath this skin
The fire outside burns within
Iron and grit, that's the blood I bleed
Fire and sweat, that's all I need
Strike that steel till the daylight's gone
Stand my ground, keep it rolling on
No silver spoon ever built these hands
Just honest work and honest stands
When the whistle blows, you'll know my name
Iron and grit, we're built the same
These bones may bend, but they don't break
Every mile, every ache
The furnace blows like a midnight prayer
Mercy finds the faithful there
Not by luck, not by gold
But by the fire inside the soul
Hold that line, hold that flame
Every worker bears a name
Iron and grit
Hear the thunder roll, find these hands
Freedom in my soul
Raise that hammer to the burning sky
We live with honor till the day we die
From the cold black earth to the pouring rain
We carry hope through every pain
If tomorrow calls, we'll rise again
Iron and grit, ride to the end
Iron and grit, never bow
Iron and grit, here and now
Iron and grit, forever strong
This working heart keeps beating on
The soul, soul won't quit
Built from fire
Iron and grit
