Keep the Wolves Away

Took my first breath where the muddy Brazos Spills into the Gulf of Mexico Where the skyline's colored by chemical plants That put the bread on the table of the workin' man Where the workin' man does his best to provide Safety and shelter for kids and a wife Giving a little of his soul every day Makin' overtime to keep the wolves away I was barely thirteen when the company men Tried to dig my daddy's grave It happened on a French-owned tanker ship Spillin' poison in the Galveston Bay Where the liquid fire filled his lungs and his eyes Silenced any mortal cries Cold in the grip of death's stinging pain He fought like hell to keep the wolves away For the next few years, Dad was sick as a dog But he made recovery just to spite the odds The settlement came, and we moved out of town Where the sky isn't heavy with refinery clouds Yeah, he's still alive, he's doing good, he's in his fifties But the money's running out, and he's pinching for pennies So I'm going for broke with every song I play 'Cause now it's my turn to keep the wolves away