Fireflies & Gravel
Alex Wilson
Description
A poignant Appalachian ballad, "Fireflies & Gravel" explores themes of childhood hardship, resilience, and finding beauty amidst adversity. Opening with delicate fingerpicked acoustic guitar and ambient field recordings, the song establishes a hauntingly beautiful soundscape. Alex Wilson's warm baritone vocals, accompanied by brushed snare, soft fiddle swells, and resonant upright piano, paint a vivid picture of rural life and inner turmoil. Subtle dynamic shifts and layered textures build emotional depth, culminating in a cathartic release. The song concludes with a gentle fade into the ambient sounds of a summer night, leaving a lingering sense of hope and wonder.
Lyrics
(Verse 1) Lost my mama ‘fore I took my first breath, Born with silence sittin’ heavy on my chest. Daddy’s fists louder than the words he never said, Learned young how to duck and bow my head. Backyard stars through a busted screen, Made my prayers to things I’d never seen. The gravel bit, the fireflies danced— I held on tight to a world by chance. (Chorus) It’s fireflies and gravel, bruises and light, Tryin’ to find magic in the middle of a fight. Sleepin’ with sorrow, dreamin’ in scars, Countin’ constellations from the back of a car. Still don’t know if the world gives grace— But I saw somethin’ kind in that moonlit place. Yeah, it’s grief and it’s grit, and it ain’t always kind… But fireflies still glow in a boy’s troubled mind. (Verse 2) Took my first song down to the creek, Played it soft so the water wouldn’t speak. Heard my mama’s hum in the willow’s sway, Heard my younger self say, “Stay, stay.” Didn’t know love, but I knew the lack, Didn’t know joy ‘til I saw it look back. In the spark of a jar held up to the sky, I asked, “Is it okay just to survive?” (Chorus) It’s fireflies and gravel, ghosts and grace, Tryin’ to build peace in a bruised-up place. Laughin’ too loud so the ache don’t stay, Singin’ to shadows to scare ‘em away. Still don’t know if pain ever fades… But I’ve found small light in the dark I braved. Yeah, it’s grief and it’s grit, and it ain’t always kind… But fireflies still glow in a boy’s troubled mind. (Bridge) I ain’t got answers, I ain’t got proof, Just a worn-out voice and a haunted truth. But if love’s real, and if stars don’t lie— Why do they shimmer when a poor boy cries? (Verse 3) Years flew by like leaves in the fall, Carried me far beyond these holler walls. Still I hear the whisper of the whippoorwill's call, And the memory of gravel when I start to fall. Now I see my own face in my father's frown, But I choose to break the cycle, lay the darkness down. The fireflies still dance, though the nights grow long, A reminder that even broken things can be strong. (Final Chorus) Fireflies and gravel, soft and rough, The ache of a life and a flicker of enough. Still don’t know if the world forgives— But somethin’ inside me still wants to live. Yeah, it’s grief and it’s grit, and it ain’t always kind… But fireflies still glow in a boy’s troubled mind. (Outro) Fireflies...gravel...moonlight... Fireflies...glowin'... (Fade to ambient night sounds)