THEY SHOULD’VE LEFT ME DEAD (Alt 1)

Intro They should’ve left me dead Should’ve finished what they started Now the man they threw away Came back breathing twice as hard

Verse 1 They found me in the river mud Face down beneath the rain Boot marks buried in my back And your name inside my brain You took my horse, you took my silver Told the county I was gone But the river kept me breathing Just to prove the bastards wrong Death and me got talking While the black water ran red He said, “Son, I ain’t your problem— It’s the men who left you dead”

Pre-Chorus Every mile behind me Led me straight back to your door You should’ve made damn sure I couldn’t breathe anymore

Chorus They should’ve left me dead Should’ve put me six feet under Should’ve burned what still was breathing And scattered me like thunder They should’ve left me dead Now I’m standing where you sleep You dug one grave too shallow— And made one enemy too deep LEFT ME DEAD! NOT DEAD YET!

Verse 2 You moved west and changed your last name Built a house beyond the line Hung a cross above the doorway Like the Lord could buy you time Told your children you were righteous Told your woman you were clean Funny what a coward calls the truth When no one knows what he has seen I watched your window from the hillside Watched you laughing in the light A stolen life looks peaceful— Till the dead come home at night

Chorus They should’ve left me dead Should’ve nailed the coffin tighter Should’ve known a dying spark Comes crawling back as fire They should’ve left me dead Now your prayers are wearing thin You buried me beneath your lies— I came crawling out through them

Bridge I lost blood I lost years Lost the part of me that feared Lost the man Who might forgive Kept one reason left to live One name One road One promise carved into my bones: You left me dying all alone— Now you won’t die alone They should’ve left me dead Should’ve buried every ember Should’ve cut my name from history And taught the dirt not to remember They should’ve left me dead But you left one breath instead That was all the hell I needed— They should’ve left me dead They should’ve left me dead Now you know what you created You didn’t kill the man I was— You made something that could hate you LEFT ME— DEAD! NOT DEAD— YET!

Outro Next time… Dig deeper.

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