Grease On My Hands, River In My Veins

[Verse 1]
Clock hits six
Steel-toe boots on cold shop floor
Coffee in a stained red thermos
Name tag hanging, same as before
Hear that horn
Barges crawling through the morning haze
Ohio rolling just beyond us
Like it’s watching how I spend my days
[Chorus]
I got grease on my hands, river in my veins
Rust in my lungs, diesel in my brain
Turn that wrench, chase that pay
Just to keep this tired town running another day
I ain’t rich but I’m proud of what I fix
Every bolt I break loose, every socket that slips
Out here where the towboats moan and complain
I got grease on my hands, river in my veins
[Verse 2]
Boss man yells
“Unit three’s down by the dock” (let’s go)
Crawling under busted engines
Choking on that burnt fuel fog
Knuckles split
Oil drip tapping like a second hand
Sun climbs over Henderson
But I’m stuck under this iron giant
[Chorus]
I got grease on my hands, river in my veins
Rust in my lungs, diesel in my brain
Turn that wrench, chase that pay
Just to keep this tired town running another day
I ain’t rich but I’m proud of what I fix
Every bolt I break loose, every socket that slips
Out here where the towboats moan and complain
I got grease on my hands, river in my veins
[Bridge]
Some folks leave
Swear they’ll never smell this place again
Me, I breathe
Deep and call this water friend
When those engines roar back to life (oh yeah)
And that captain waves from the side
Feels like this muddy shoreline
Put a spine in my pride
[Chorus]
I got grease on my hands, river in my veins
Rust in my lungs, diesel in my brain
Turn that wrench, chase that pay
Just to keep this tired town running another day
I ain’t rich but I’m proud of what I fix
Every bolt I break loose, every socket that slips
Out here where the towboats moan and complain
I got grease on my hands, river in my veins

country, Warm modern country band with twangy telecaster hooks, steady train-beat drums, and earthy male vocals; verses stay intimate with brushed snare and subtle organ pad, chorus lifts with stacked harmonies, ringing acoustic strums, and a brighter hi-hat pattern; bridge strips back to bass, kick, and a reverb-kissed lead guitar line before a final, big sing-along chorus