Twenty-Six

Verse 1

Dust in my mouth, blood on the sand

My brothers are silent, rifle in hand

I feel the cold start creepin’ in slow

But I ain't scared—no, not yet, though

I reach in my coat, my fingers shake

Pull out the photo we took by the lake

You in that dress, baby in your arms

That's my whole world in a four-by-five charm

Pre-Chorus

And as the dark starts closing in

I hear the past come rushin’ in

Chorus

I see my first steps, my first fall

Christmas lights down the old hall

My mama’s smile, dad’s strong voice

Teenage nights, every reckless choice

Fallin’ for you, that kiss at dawn

Our baby’s cry, the light turned on

I lived a lifetime in those bits

All before the age of twenty-six

Verse 2

Boot camp days, letters from home

Your perfume on paper, kept me whole

The night I asked you to be my wife

In that church lot under faded lights

Then came the news, I had to go

You said, “Be brave, and come back whole”

I kissed your lips and made that vow

But I’m afraid I’m breakin’ it now

Pre-Chorus

Still, I close my eyes and drift away

To a better place, a brighter day

Chorus

I see schoolyard fights and prom night songs

The way you danced all summer long

Our wedding ring, the hospital room

The first time I held our little bloom

Laughin’ at jokes nobody gets

Your hand in mine on our front steps

All those moments, every hit

Wrapped up in twenty-six

Bridge

Tell her I love her, tell him I'm proud

Tell her I watch her from the clouds

If I could trade one breath for time

I’d give her more of this heart of mine

Final Chorus

I see you both in the morning light

In lullabies and sleepless nights

Tell her she’s strong, tell him he’s gold

Tell 'em I lived and loved so bold

It’s not the years, but how they’re lit

And I shined bright at twenty-six

Outro

Yeah, I shined bright at twenty-six...

With your picture pressed to my lips

As I fade into the mist

At twenty-six