What's Left Standing

[INTRO] (Whiskey-warm acoustic guitar strumming, with a steady, heartland rhythm section) (Verse 1) The sky turned a shade of bruised and angry green That ol' north wind started screamin' like a demon set free We watched from the porch, that familiar sense of dread Then the sirens kicked in, and the weatherman said "Take cover now, folks, it's headin' right this way." We barely made it to the cellar 'fore it took our yesterday. (Pre-Chorus) A sound like a freight train on a torn-up track Then a silence so heavy, you can't get it back. (Chorus) It tore the siding from the dreams on our street Picked up a lifetime and laid it at our feet Scattered the pictures, the promises we made In a tangled mess of pine and frame That the sun cuts through this mornin', a cruel and quiet blade Yeah, it left us in the rubble, but it left us unafraid. (Verse 2) There's the Johnson's old oak tree, laid across their Chevrolet What's left of our picket fence is scattered down the highway The firehouse took a hit, the station's lookin' rough But they're still out there answerin' calls, 'cause they're just that kind of tough And I can see clear through the walls to the room where my girl slept Found her swing set in the neighbor's field, and Lord, I almost wept. (Pre-Chorus) A sound like a freight train on a torn-up track Then a silence so heavy, you can't get it back. (Chorus) It tore the siding from the dreams on our street Picked up a lifetime and laid it at our feet Scattered the pictures, the promises we made In a tangled mess of pine and frame That the sun cuts through this mornin', a cruel and quiet blade Yeah, it left us in the rubble, but it left us unafraid. (Bridge) They're talkin' on the TV 'bout the warm Gulf air And a cold front pushin' through without a single care They can draw their lines on a map, try to explain it all away But there ain't no map for the heartache I see here today Just the dust on my boots, and this coffee in my hand And the unbroken spirit of my neighbor, shakin' my hand. (Chorus) It tore the siding from the dreams on our street! Picked up a lifetime and laid it at our feet! Scattered the pictures, the promises we made In a tangled mess of pine and frame But the sun cuts through this mornin', a warmer kind of blade... Yeah, it left us in the rubble, but it left us unafraid. (Outro) Just a broken fence... and a story to tell. Yeah, we're still standin'... After it all fell. (Guitar fades out with a final, resolve