[Verse 1]
Rain on the gravel, a crowd in the park,
Saying goodbye to a brilliant spark.
Twenty-one years and a heart made of gold,
Left us with stories that'll never grow old.
That friend was the first one to hand you a line,
The first one to help when you’re falling behind.
Now there’s an empty old stool at the bar,
And a terrible silence wherever we are.
[Chorus]
They say there’s a reason, they say there’s a plan,
But it’s hard to believe when you’re missing a friend.
The wolves keep on running, the shadows grow long,
The wicked stay steady, the broken stay strong.
It’s a bitter old pill that we drop on the tongue,
Heaven gets heavy when the good die young.
[Verse 2]
They spent a whole life just clearing debris,
Planted the flowers and sheltered the trees.
Never took credit, they never took praise,
Just gave us their best through the darkest of days.
Then the white sirens came tearing through town,
And pulled the main pillar of sanity down.
The cheats and the liars are laughing tonight,
While that kitchen is dark and there’s no one in sight.
[Chorus]
They say there’s a reason, they say there’s a plan,
But it’s hard to believe when you’re missing a friend.
The wolves keep on running, the shadows grow long,
The wicked stay steady, the broken stay strong.
It’s a bitter old pill that we drop on the tongue,
Heaven gets heavy when the good die young.
[Guitar Solo Slot - 16 Bars: Slow, crying electric guitar solo with heavy string bends and sustained, weeping notes that build into an aggressive, soaring finish]
[Bridge]
Maybe the highway out there in the stars
Is safer than driving these broken-down cars.
Maybe the world is too heavy a load
For a beautiful soul at the end of the road.
But we’re left with the wreckage, we’re left with the rust,
Staring at headstones and walking in dust!
[Verse 3]
So pour out a glass of the low-down and black,
There ain't a single prayer that can carry them back.
We’ll talk about the laughter and fight back the tears,
And carry their names through the oncoming years.
The sun’s going down on the churchyard tree,
But the fire they left is still burning in me.
[Chorus]
They say there’s a reason, they say there’s a plan,
But it’s hard to believe when you’re missing a friend.
The wolves keep on running, the shadows grow long,
The wicked stay steady, the broken stay strong.
It’s a bitter old pill that we drop on the tongue,
Heaven gets heavy when the good die young.
[Outro]
Yeah, the wicked stay steady...
The good die young.
Just a cold winter wind...
And a song left unsung.
Heaven gets heavy...
When the good die young.
