He traded the bottle for a brand new start,
Walked into treatment with a heavy heart.
Did the time in the rooms, did the sober living phase,
Trying to clear the smoke and the alcohol haze.
He had his brand new clothes, his rent money saved,
Walking the narrow path the counselors paved.
But the higher he climbed, the more he looked around,
Seeing cracks in the people on that "holy" ground.
(Chorus)
Two paths in the valley, two stories in the name,
One found the healing, and one found the flame.
A journey of shadows, a journey of song,
Between the clean living and where it went wrong.
(Verse 2)
He looked at the faces in the "Native Nation" crowd,
The ones talking tradition, talking spirit and proud.
But he saw through the mask, saw the shape-shifting soul,
Pretending they were healers while they stole from the bowl.
Faking the straight line, faking the grace,
While they looked at his things with a predator’s face.
He saw them eyeing his gear, his cash, and his pride,
While they preached about culture—but they were empty inside.
(Verse 3)
They took his rent money, took the clothes off his back,
The "brothers" in the circle led the sneak attack.
He saw the fakes and the phonies in their pious disguise,
And the old fire started burning back in his eyes.
He said, "If this is the 'straight' way, then I’m better off gone,"
The bridge to the sober life was broken by dawn.
If the people were plastic and the spirits were hollow,
There was only one road left for him to follow.
(Verse 4)
So he packed up the pieces of a broken-down dream,
Back to the valley, back to the extreme.
Back to the hood where the truth doesn't lie,
Under the smoke of a concrete sky.
Back to the parties, the tents, and the game,
Back to the dope and the heat of the flame.
He’d rather be a ghost in the river valley night,
Than a man in a circle where nothing was right.
(Outro)
Ten fires burning, a heart turned to ash,
The price of the fakers and the loss of the cash.
From the treatment center to the valley of old,
Searching for a fire in a world grown cold.
Whiskey
