[Verse 1] Raiders on the ridge line Mercenaries in the dust Killers on the black road Trying to break our trust Mothers lock the shutters Kids crowd close to the fire But the old town keeps on breathing Like a spark in dry pine
[Pre-Chorus] Then the horn came calling From the hill above the grain General on the front step Wearin' every mark of pain
[Chorus] Hang on that war coat Hang on, don't fold Hang on that war coat Let the brave hand hold Settlers need a promise Settlers need a sign Hang on that war coat And drive them from the line
[Verse 2] He pinned on every medal Like a sunrise on his chest Looked out past the fences Said, "We'll do the rest" Boots hit the hard ground Men stood up as one Women by the water pump Raised their heads to the sun
[Pre-Chorus] Then the horn came calling From the hill above the grain General on the front step Wearin' every mark of pain
[Chorus] Hang on that war coat Hang on, don't fold Hang on that war coat Let the brave hand hold Settlers need a promise Settlers need a sign Hang on that war coat And drive them from the line
[Bridge] Through the ash and iron Through the cracked and stung earth He led us like a promise Like we still knew what we were worth When the night got brutal He stood where fear would start Medals on his shoulder Hope beat hard in every heart
[Final Chorus] Hang on that war coat Hang on, don't fold Hang on that war coat Let the brave hand hold Settlers need a promise Settlers need a sign Hang on that war coat And drive them from the line Hang on that war coat Till the whole land shines
Musikstil
Heroic country with a driving mid-tempo two-step feel, picked acoustic guitar, stomping kick, fiddle lines that lift the melody, and steady bass under a wide singalong chorus; verse stays sparse and story-led, pre-chorus tightens with rising harmony, chorus opens into stacked gang vocals and a proud, marching hook. Close-mic male vocal in the verses, fuller doubles on the chorus, with steel-guitar swells, handclaps on the backbeat, and a clean, bright mix with frontier grit., country