Track Insight / Lyrics
You count the coppers with gloves worn thin
Snow drifts pile where the tires have been
Ancient arches hold the mountain's weight
You guard the temple at the frozen gate
Lantern swings on a chain of rust
Wind bites hard but you don't adjust
Three hundred winters on this stone spine
You know each crack in the sacred line
Iron toll, iron toll
You're the keeper of the soul
Stone beneath the snow so deep
Ancient promises you keep
Iron toll, iron toll
Pilgrims pass with their packs and prayer
You nod slow in the thinning air
No receipt for the grace you sell
Just the hammer's ring on the iron bell
Iron toll, iron toll
You're the keeper of the soul
Stone beneath the snow so deep
Ancient promises you keep
Iron toll, iron toll
Blizzard howls but the fire holds
Stories etched in the manifold
You've seen kings and you've seen thieves
All reduced to dust and leaves
Morning breaks on the pass above
Temple drinks the sun's first love
Your boots trace the worn stone floor
Six more miles to the county door
Radio crackles with the dispatch call
Another fare, another sprawl
But you stay put where the old gods sleep
Counting coins in the silence deep
Iron toll, iron toll
You're the keeper of the soul
Stone beneath the snow so deep
Ancient promises you keep
Iron toll, iron toll
Iron toll, iron toll
Engine turns, the heater groans
You're still standing on them bones
