Johnny Fire

from Polk County Line by Ryan Sheeler

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Road Home, Letters From North of Town (2021 Remaster), Roads We've Taken, A Star Above The Highway, Skies and Shadows, Polk County Line, Light In The Rain, Letters from North of Town, and 1 more. , and , .

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lyrics

Johnny Fire - words and music by Ryan Sheeler

Last year was harder than he’d ever seen So many things went wrong
It started when his best friend drowned-Now he’s long gone

He’s only 17 years old in there with men two or three times his age
the ones of silent desperation all stuck in the same cage

The guys walked the upper aisle talking about their cases
Day after day, the toll it takes shows itself on their faces

But this one kept to himself ‘cept for once in a while
Soon a few of the guys named him Johnny Fire

BRIDGE
“we were only having fun” -- Playing around and burned down a house
10 counts and sentenced him to juvy could have gotten a lot worse

waiting for his mama’s call, with the rest waiting for their turns at the phones
I knew how scared he was so I tried to be his friend just to help him know he ain’t alone

When life gets this dark it seems like there ain’t no redemption in here
Where silence won’t even be your friend feels like God himself aint’ there

BRIDGE 2
Sir I ain’t guilty they’ve got it all wrong
I ain’t got no record and don’t wanna be in here too long

They don’t understand it ain’t his heart that’s bad they just lost what’s free to find
Instead of rehabilitatin’ the system left them behind

call him Johnny Fire…

c. 2011 Ryan Sheeler/Highway 30 Music ASCAP

credits

from Polk County Line, released July 12, 2011

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about

Ryan Sheeler Ames, Iowa

Guitarist and songwriter from Central Iowa

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