Prompt / Lyrics
[Verse 1] Coffee’s gone cold Name tag half torn Sleeves smell like diesel Eyes red and worn Letters from home Folded and creased Read them in silence Like prayers to some priest [Chorus] I’m just salt in the wounds of the water Rust in the rail of this ship Gave you my hands, my head, my heart ’Til my soul slipped out of my grip Can’t tell the dawn from the darkness Every watch bleeds into the next I’m a tired old sailor, adrift out here Too broke to break, too spent to rest [Verse 2] Chipped wedding ring Spin it, then stop Think of her laughter Then hear something drop “Set condition three” Echoes down steel Body goes moving Mind doesn’t feel [Chorus] I’m just salt in the wounds of the water Rust in the rail of this ship Gave you my hands, my head, my heart ’Til my soul slipped out of my grip Can’t tell the dawn from the darkness Every watch bleeds into the next I’m a tired old sailor, adrift out here Too broke to break, too spent to rest [Bridge] I talk to the stars They don’t talk back Just blink like the ghosts Of the ones we lack If there’s a God Out past this blue He’s heard my name More than I do [Chorus] I’m just salt in the wounds of the water Rust in the rail of this ship Gave you my hands, my head, my heart ’Til my soul slipped out of my grip Can’t tell the dawn from the darkness Every watch bleeds into the next I’m a tired old sailor, drifting home But I left my heart Somewhere out west [Outro] One more hail Mary Over the foam Body heads harbor Spirit stays alone
Tags
Slow, weary Americana ballad with male vocals; brushed snare and soft upright bass under a fingerpicked steel-string guitar. Verses stay hushed and intimate, with cracked vocal edges and distant pedal steel moans; chorus swells with organ pads and low harmony stack. Subtle crescendo into the bridge then a faded, exhausted outro, leaving space between phrases like long waves between swells.
Duration
5:07
Instrumental
No
Created
4/13/2026