Static and Darkness

Lyrics

Verse 1 Mama cried like rain on a rusty tin roof, Daddy’s words hit harder than the gospel truth. I learned to stay quiet, keep my back to the wall, In a house where nobody heard a little boy call. Found an old TV in the corner one day, Rabbit ears bent, all the colors washed away. I’d turn that lonely dial with my knees pulled tight, Looking for a little piece of borrowed light. Chorus Just static… buzzing in my soul, Snow falling on a screen that never made me whole. I’d spin that old dial till my fingers got sore, Hoping there was something worth living for. Most channels hissed like the ghosts I knew, But every now and then one would come shining through… Not a preacher, not a hero, not somebody’s spark… Just a channel called Complete Darkness in the dark. Verse 2 Funny how a child can get used to the cold, Learning grown-up stories before he’s ten years old. Every slammed door sounded like a train leaving town, And every broken promise settled heavy down. That television glowed like the moon at night, Painting empty dreams in a pale blue light. I’d swear that black screen knew my secret name, ’Cause silence and me were one and the same. Chorus Just static… buzzing in my soul, Snow falling on a screen that never made me whole. I’d spin that old dial till my fingers got sore, Hoping there was something worth living for. Most channels hissed like the ghosts I knew, But every now and then one would come shining through… Just a picture black as the hurt in my heart… That old station called Complete Darkness. Bridge Maybe darkness ain’t the devil after all, Maybe it’s the place where broken children crawl. Before the sunrise finds their weary eyes, Before they learn that hope wears a good disguise. Verse 3 Now I’m grown with scars you can’t quite see, Still hear that television calling back to me. But I’ve learned sometimes when the picture goes black, It ain’t the end of the story—it just hasn’t come back. There’s a little boy still sitting somewhere tonight, Turning that old dial, praying for a light. If he hears this song, I hope he understands… Somebody made it out with shaking hands. Final Chorus No more static… it’s fading away, I finally found the dawn after all that gray. Still turn that old dial in the back of my mind, Looking for the child I left behind. The darkness still whispers, but it don’t own my heart, It’s just one old channel, not where I start. The screen may go black, but morning leaves its mark… Even Complete Darkness can’t outshine the spark.