Hard Work, Red Lights

[Verse 1]
Boots on the floor at 4 a.m.
Coffee in a chipped old mug
Pager on the counter starts screaming
He kisses that fridge door jug
Says "I’ll see you tonight, old friend"
Then he grabs his coat and runs again
[Chorus]
Hard‑working EMT, country fire man
Chasing every siren, doing what he can
Smoke in his jacket, scars on his hands
Prays every call lets him go home again
When the long day’s done, if the good Lord’s willing
He shakes off the ash with a Jack Daniels chillin'
Hard‑working EMT, country fire man
Just a small-town hero, doing the best he can
[Verse 2]
Blue gloves snap in the back of that rig
Grandma breathing through an oxygen hiss
He tells her ’bout his kids and the county fair
Till her fear turns into a grin
Then it’s brush fires out by Miller’s farm
Burning through the night till the dawn feels warm
[Chorus]
Hard‑working EMT, country fire man
Chasing every siren, doing what he can
Smoke in his jacket, scars on his hands
Prays every call lets him go home again
When the long day’s done, if the good Lord’s willing
He shakes off the ash with a Jack Daniels chillin'
Hard‑working EMT, country fire man
Just a small-town hero, doing the best he can
[Bridge]
He don’t talk much about the hard nights
Those faces he can’t forget
Just leans on the porch rail, tips that bottle
Says a quiet thanks for every breath
[Chorus]
Hard‑working EMT, country fire man
Chasing every siren, doing what he can
Smoke in his jacket, scars on his hands
Prays every call lets him go home again
When the long day’s done, if the good Lord’s willing
He shakes off the ash with a Jack Daniels chillin'
Hard‑working EMT, country fire man
Yeah, a small-town hero, doing the best he can

country, Modern radio country with male vocals; midtempo stomp-clap groove, twangy electric and warm acoustic guitars, steady kick on the downbeat. Verses stay stripped with vocal close and conversational; chorus opens up with big gang harmonies, slide guitar swells, and a singalong hook. Brief fiddle fills answer vocal phrases, ending on a heartfelt, held note over a ringing chord.