Prompt / Lyrics
[Verse 1] House on the hill Coffee on the stove Little boots by the doorway Bible by the window Gun smoke on the dawn Hoof prints in the dust Three small crosses Leaning in the rust [Chorus] So I ride with the Reaper Hat pulled low, eyes of coal Trade my soul for a shot at the devil That's the bargain, that's the toll He said, "Son, you can have your vengeance Every wrong, you'll burn it down" "But you'll ride forever, never going home" On a black horse out of town [Verse 2] Found that outlaw Laughing in the shade Cards, cheap whiskey Silver on his blade I drew first, he bled slow Begged the dirt for air I saw my children In the way he stared [Chorus] Now I ride with the Reaper Hat pulled low, eyes of coal Trade my soul for a shot at the devil That's the bargain, that's the toll He said, "Son, you can have your vengeance Every sin, you'll hunt it down" "But you'll ride forever, never going home" On a black horse out of town [Bridge] We pass through towns Where my name still shakes the glass Mothers pull their curtains They know what’s riding past Every guilty man I find Looks a little more like me Every grave I leave behind Feels like a missing piece [Chorus] Still I ride with the Reaper Hat pulled low, heart gone cold Got my revenge but it tasted hollow Like chewing dust and coal He said, "Son, this is what you wanted Justice carved in blood and ground" "But you'll ride forever, never going home" So my ghost keeps circling town [Outro] Three small crosses By a leaning stone I can see my doorway But I can't go home Spurs keep ringing Moon hangs like a crown I ride with the Reaper On a black horse out of town
Tags
country, Dusty outlaw-country ballad with male vocals, twangy baritone guitar and a low, ominous bass pulse. Verses stay sparse with brushed snare and distant tremolo guitar swells; chorus brings in thicker harmonies, ringing acoustic strums, and a lonesome pedal steel crying on the edges. Bridge leans into a half-time stomp and ghostly background oohs before dropping to near-whispered vocal and building back to a final, resigned chorus.
Duration
3:53
Instrumental
No
Created
3/6/2026