Ohio River Diesel

[Verse 1]
Sun creeps over that rusted crane
Coffee in a thermos with my name in paint
Steel-toed boots on the gravel and dust
Clock-in buzzer and a toolbox of rust
Old towboat limps in, coughing black
Grease on my hands, sweat on my back
Boss man hollers, "She’s your girl today"
I just grin and wipe my face
[Chorus]
I keep this Ohio River moving
Bolt by bolt, line by line
Turning busted into proven
‘Til that engine starts to grind
Ain’t a fancy life I’m living
But it’s honest, it’s mine to give
I’m a diesel man on the river
And this is how I live
[Verse 2]
Summer heat sticking like diesel smoke
We trade tall tales, laugh at the same old jokes
Radio humming ‘bout a big-time town
While we’re underneath a frame, laying on the ground
Phone lights up, picture of my girl
Brown-eyed reason in this blue-collar world
She says, “Daddy, come home when you can”
So I tighten one more line, do it all again
[Chorus]
I keep this Ohio River moving
Bolt by bolt, line by line
Turning busted into proven
‘Til that engine starts to grind
Ain’t a fancy life I’m living
But it’s honest, it’s mine to give
I’m a diesel man on the river
And this is how I live
[Bridge]
Some folks chase gold on a shining screen
Me, I chase leaks in a river machine
When that horn blows long and she pulls away
I feel like I built that boat today (oh yeah)
[Chorus]
I keep this Ohio River moving
Bolt by bolt, line by line
Turning busted into proven
‘Til that engine starts to grind
Ain’t a mansion on a hillside
But it’s a good life that I give
I’m a diesel man on the river
Yeah, this is how
This is how I live

country, Modern country band with a steady backbeat, warm Telecaster twang, and barroom piano fills; verses stay intimate and story-driven, chorus swells with stacked male harmonies and a gritty, proud lead vocal; big, ringing chords on the hook, fiddle lines answering the vocals, and a bridge that drops to half-time before a final, anthemic chorus