Cold wind bites the narrow street
Frozen slush beneath the feet
In the cellar dim and deep
Old leather secrets start to keep
Calloused hands and heavy thread
Sowing lines of crimson red
Tannin scent and beeswax glow
While the winter currents blow
Buff the hide until it gleams
Stitching tight the broken seams
Humming low a steady beat
Deep below the cobblestone street
Like a seed in winter loam
Patiently he makes a home
Rubbing oil on weathered skin
Where the stubborn hope begins
Buff the hide until it gleams
Stitching tight the broken seams
Humming low a steady beat
Deep below the cobblestone street
Rough grain turns to velvet gold
Stories that the soles have told
A steady pulse, a rhythmic slide
Nothing left for him to hide
He treats the leather like a leaf
Turning heavy toil to brief
Like a root that finds the spring
Hear the iron hammer ring
Winter frost may lock the door
Scraping across the concrete floor
But the warmth is in the trade
In the shelter he has made
Buff the hide until it gleams
Stitching tight the broken seams
Humming low a steady beat
Deep below the cobblestone street
Humming low, the steady beat
Down beneath the winter street
(Pedal steel fade)
