Lyrics

[Verse]
He wore the uniform with pride, iron spine and steel resolve,
A soldier in a shadowed world, secrets he'd evolve,
But when the boots came off each night, he'd sit me on his knee,
Teachin' me those lessons that no textbook ever be.

[Verse 2]
In Pittsburgh's smoky hollers, where the steel mills kiss the sky,
He'd trade the soldier’s rigor, for cranes that lifted high,
A gentle giant at the helm, guiding steel with tender hand,
A blend of grit and kindness in a way I understand.

[Chorus]
Steel and silence, a life so well-defined,
A hero and a father, memories entwined,
Every crane he operated, every secret kept within,
Echoes in the heartbeats, where his voice has always been.

[Verse 3]
Weekends by the riverside, fishing poles and quiet laughs,
Teaching me to hold on tight, to moments on life's path,
His stories from the battlefield, the wisdom in his eyes,
Clearer now he's gone, I see the man's disguise.

[Chorus]
Steel and silence, a life so well-defined,
A hero and a father, memories entwined,
Every crane he operated, every secret kept within,
Echoes in the heartbeats, where his voice has always been.

[Bridge]
Now that he has flown away, to where the angels dwell,
I hear his laughter in the wind, in every distant bell,
A soldier's spirit never fades, a crane still moves with grace,
In every steely memory, I find his kind embrace.