Turn the Spillway Wheel

[Intro] [Pick scrape, low-string chug, dragged chord] [Verse 1] The gauge jumped red at quarter past two Rain filled the cut where the old road ran through I brace my boots on the iron grate And lean on the wheel that refuses to break [Chorus] Hold that gate, hold that water Turn it by hand while the whole wall groans Radio says another surge is coming I won’t let the river take what we own [Verse 2] The valve gives inches, then locks like stone My palms split open on the rusted spokes The spillway roars through the concrete throat A voice in the handset counts down the load [Chorus] Hold that gate, hold that water Turn it by hand while the whole wall groans Radio says another surge is coming I won’t let the river take what we own [Guitar solo] [Howling bent-note solo over the chug] [Chorus] Hold that gate, hold that water Turn it by hand while the whole wall groans Radio says another surge is coming I won’t let the river take what we own [Outro] One more turn, the wheel gives way The red line falls; the roar drains gray