[Verse 1]
They say Heaven don’t have fences
But the gate had stars and stripes
And a shadow stood in silence
‘Neath a halo of porchlight

St. Pete looked up from his list
Said, “Son, we’ve heard your name”
“There’s a flag that don’t stop flyin’
‘Cause of men who sing that way”

[Verse 2]
He stepped up in them worn-out boots
Same pair from '93
Still smelled like red dirt backroads
And fourth of July on Main Street

There were boots of soldiers waitin’
And a beer already poured
An angel tipped his cowboy hat
And said, “This one’s yours”

[Chorus]
They saluted him first
Before he could speak
The silence said plenty
For the strong and the meek
A life lived loud, with nothin’ to fake
Truth in his tone and pride in his wake
They opened those gates, and they let him through
Said, “We’ve been waitin’ on a man like you”

[Verse 3]
There’s a stage up there in Glory
Where legends trade their songs
And Cash slid over smilin’
Said, “It’s been too damn long”

Haggard raised his whiskey glass
And Waylon cracked a grin
Said, “Pull up that chair, brother —
Let the good songs roll again”

[Chorus]
They saluted him first
With a nod and a grin
No need to explain
Where that heart had been
He sang for the lost, the bold, and the brave
He stood for the flag, and he kneeled when he prayed
Now Heaven’s own choir got a little more grit
With boots at the gate, and a fire still lit

[Outro]
Yeah, they welcomed him home, no line to wait
‘Cause God don’t forget a man who stood straight
And the stars shine brighter, past Heaven’s gate —
Since Toby came home… boots and all…
Standing tall

Boots at the Gate

I’m JD Hodge — Oklahoma-born, red dirt-raised, and songwriting for over 30 years.

In 2024, I flatlined on an operating table. Cardiac arrest. Everything changed.

When I came back, the words came with me — like they’d been waiting their turn. Since then, the songs haven’t stopped. I write what’s real: struggle, hope, grit, and grace — stories meant to be felt.

You’ll hear pieces of my past, my people, and the kind of heartland truth you can’t fake. These songs aren’t just mine — they’re for anyone who’s fought through silence and still found a voice.

Retired • Lyricist • Country • Americana • Acoustic Soul
Oklahoma, USA

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