Selway Smoke & Dog Tags

[Intro]
Packs on backs
Orange vests, cold breath
Same boys that knew death
Now we just track steps (yeah)
[Verse 1]
Selway dawn, truck dust in the mirror
Steam from the coffee, wind-cut clearer
Mud on the boots, scar on the knuckles
We laugh at the limp, make light of the struggle
Tree line thick, but we walked through worse
We mapped whole valleys in a thirty-round burst
Used to hunt men, now we follow these tracks
Trading war stories while we shift these packs
Camouflage hats, dog tags tucked
Tattoo of a name that stayed in the truck
He ain’t here, but I feel that weight
Every ridge we climb, he clears that gate
[Chorus]
Bear hunting in the Bitterroot
Combat souls in worn-out boots
We’re still here, so we live for the ones who ain’t (uh)
Raise that can, let it spill for the names in paint
Yeah, we laugh a little louder for our fallen
Leave an empty chair by the fire when we’re talking
Every sunrise, every shot, every breath we take
Is respect to our brothers and sisters that the war ain’t break
[Verse 2]
Rifle on shoulder, heart on sleeve
Some things you carry, you never leave
Echoes in the canyon, rotor in my ear
Then it’s just elk sign, cold, clean air
We rib each other when the shot goes wide
But we ride together, same old pride
He jumps at thunder, I freeze at a smell
But we walk it off, ‘cause we walked through hell
Break for a smoke where the creek runs shallow
Joking ‘bout rations, old MRE shadows
We ain’t heroes, just lucky and lost
Trying to make peace with the counted cost
[Chorus]
Bear hunting in the Bitterroot
Combat souls in worn-out boots
We’re still here, so we live for the ones who ain’t (yeah)
Raise that can, let it spill for the names in paint
Yeah, we laugh a little louder for our fallen
Leave an empty chair by the fire when we’re talking
Every sunrise, every shot, every breath we take
Is respect to our brothers and sisters that the war ain’t break
[Bridge]
For the ones still watching from a higher ridge (woah)
We carry you across every log, every bridge
If I tag this bear, then your name’s on the hide
You’re the echo in the timber, you’re the hand at my side
[Chorus]
Bear hunting in the Bitterroot
Combat souls in worn-out boots
We’re still here, so we live for the ones who ain’t
Raise that can, let it spill for the names in paint (for you)
Yeah, we laugh a little louder for our fallen
Leave an empty chair by the fire when we’re talking
Every sunrise, every shot, every breath we take
Is respect to our brothers and sisters that the war ain’t break (never)

rap, Grimy boom-bap drums with thick sub bass, minor-key piano loop, and distant forest ambience tucked low in the mix. Male vocals, steady mid-tempo bounce; verses delivered in a reflective, gritty cadence. Hook opens with wider stereo ad-libs and stacked gang vocals, subtle choir pad lifting the emotion. Final chorus adds extra percussion and delay throws on key words for an anthemic, cathartic finish.