Midnight's Crooked Shadow

Verse 1

Out past the border, sunset burning low

My boots in dust, my shadow long on the road

A memory, three words spoken honest and hollow

Run now, run fast, take your choice—follow

Thunder in my chest, fire in my tongue

Cold wind chills, fate weighs a ton

Loaded up with reasons, none of them good

One word left that I misunderstood

Chorus

It's the gun or the gallows, no mercy to borrow

Strangers trading stares at midnight

The gun or the gallows, dawn's crooked shadow

Where broken men vanish from sight

Post-Chorus

Oh the gun or the gallows

Oh the gun or the gallows

Verse 2

Dead grass crunches, silence in my stride

Digging for courage, nowhere to hide

Maybe I begged, maybe I borrowed

Maybe I lied, maybe tomorrow

I left my name on a rusted sign

Tied to fate's, tangled line

I came, I saw, I left, I lost

Hangman's knot or revolver cocked

Chorus

It's the gun or the gallows, no mercy to borrow

Strangers trading stares at midnight

The gun or the gallows, dawn's crooked shadow

Where broken men vanish from sight

Post-Chorus

Oh the gun or the gallows

Oh the gun or the gallows

Bridge

Every empty bottle tells its tale

Every bent promise, every broken trail

Either I run, or I roll the dice

Either I beg, or I pay the price

Chorus

The gun or the gallows, no mercy to borrow

Strangers trading stares at midnight

The gun or the gallows, dawn's crooked shadow

Where broken men vanish from sight

Post-Chorus

Oh the gun or the gallows

Oh the gun or the gallows