Verse 1
Sun’s barely crackin’ over McCurtain sky,
Steam’s already risin’ where the rollers fly,
Paper machines thunder like a freight train track,
Mechanical crew? Yeah, we’re holdin’ it back.
Radio squawks — “She’s down again!”
Grab the impacts, boys, let’s roll on in,
OCC dust hangin’ thick as smoke,
Chain snapped loose and the bearings broke.
Meanwhile back at the shop down the lane…
Pipe crew’s pourin’ coffee again.
⸻
Chorus
It’s Tri Lakes Mechanical, grease on our hands,
Keepin’ this mill runnin’ across these lands.
From the wood yard mud to the paper line heat,
We’re the ones turnin’ wrenches on our feet.
McCurtain County knows who shows up first —
When production’s stoppin’ and tempers burst.
While Pipe crew’s chillin’, takin’ their time…
Mechanical’s keepin’ that mill in line.
⸻
Verse 2
Wood yard loader stuck axle-deep,
Hydraulic lines startin’ to weep,
Gearbox howlin’ like a stray hound dog,
We’re crawlin’ underneath in the steam and fog.
OCC belts start walkin’ wide,
Sprocket teeth gone, guards thrown aside,
Weld sparks fly like the Fourth of July,
Keepin’ production stackin’ high.
Back at the shop, guess who’s there?
Pipe crew rockin’ that folding chair.
⸻
Verse 3 (Paycheck Bars)
Thursday hits, they smilin’ proud,
Talkin’ numbers way out loud,
Boots still clean, hands still smooth,
Claimin’ pay they didn’t prove.
We’re punchin’ hours in sweat and sparks,
Stayin’ late past quittin’ marks,
They stack tall checks sittin’ tall —
Mechanical’s the reason they get paid at all.
While they brag ‘bout what they make…
We’re the ones keepin’ production awake.
⸻
Bridge (Half-time, gritty)
Chain falls clank and the impacts scream,
Hot work permits and a torch flame beam,
If it spins, rolls, lifts, or breaks —
Mechanical’s the crew it takes.
No shade thrown, just tellin’ the truth,
You’ll find us in steel-toed boots.
McCurtain County mill still stands
’Cause somebody’s workin’ with dirty hands.
⸻
Final Chorus (Big finish)
Tri Lakes Mechanical, rain or shine,
From the wood yard bark to the finish line.
OCC dust to the paper machine roar,
We’re the ones walkin’ through that door.
When the mill goes quiet and alarms light up…
We ain’t in the shop with a coffee cup.
They can flex pay stubs all they want to call —
Mechanical crew? Yeah… we do it all
