River of Smoke

Black coat

Dust road

Sun burning a hole in my back

Old town

Shut down

Steel teeth in the railroad track

Cheap sign

Reads “wine”

And the barroom windows glow

I push the door

The floorboards roar

Someone says

“You’re late

Let’s go”

River of smoke

Rolling over my eyes

I can’t see the joke

But I’m laughing tonight

If it all goes broke

Let it burn

Let it bite

In this river of smoke

I feel more alive

Her name

Half slurred

But her hand hits every cue

Cards fall

I stall

She grins like she already knew

Lightning

Inside

Every time she says my name

“Choose me

Lose sleep”

Hell

I love a crooked game

River of smoke

Rolling over my eyes

I can’t see the joke

But I’m laughing tonight

If it all goes broke

Let it burn

Let it bite

In this river of smoke

I feel more alive

Street’s cold

My head hot (oh yeah)

Boot heels

Beat the clock

I should walk straight

But I turn back

To that red door

And that worn-out track

River of smoke

Rolling over my eyes

I can’t see the joke

But I’m laughing tonight

If it all goes broke

Let it burn

Let it bite

In this river of smoke

I feel more alive

(in this river of smoke)

I feel more alive