Keep the lantern burning

Текст песни:

[Verse 1]
We stood on the ridgeline, looking west where the river bends,
Your hand on my shoulder, dust swirling around our boots,
You said, 'We’re out here for him, not for us—just keep close',
There’s a path in the distance, and we follow with the truth.

[Pre-chorus]
You sigh, 'There’s peace at the edge, but not in the crossing,'
I nod, unsure if I believe you yet,

[Chorus] (lower, slower tempo)
Keep the lantern burning,
So he’ll see it if he’s wandering,
Don’t let the cold and the wind put it out tonight,
Keep the lantern burning—
It may be the only sign he sees tonight.

[Verse 2]
You check the snares, sharpen the knife by the firelight,
Tell me not to worry, 'He’ll be fine on his own',
But your eyes scan the dark, and I know you’re not certain—
Out here, every good man leaves and returns alone.

[Pre-chorus]
You say, 'Some don’t make it back, but that’s not our story,'
The woods swallow your words in the hush of night,

[Chorus] (low, resolute)
Keep the lantern burning,
If he’s out there, he’ll be yearning,
Don’t let the weight of the night snuff it out,
Keep the lantern burning—
It may be the only hope he sees tonight.

[Bridge] (higher intensity, more rhythmic)
I know you’re stubborn when fear comes around,
You joke about ghosts, but sleep with your boots on,
'This land remembers who treads and who is gone,'
We wait on the bluff till the dark rolls down.

[Solo] [hurdy gurdy, low drones, wordless humming]

[Chorus] (hushed, then swelling)
Keep the lantern burning,
For the lost and for the learning,
Maybe tomorrow he’ll come back in sight—
Keep the lantern burning—
It may be the only sign he sees tonight.

[Post-chorus] (gentler, voices together)
So we watch from the far horizon,
Side by side but never alone,
Keep the lantern burning bright.