From the recording Pilgrim's Songs
"Blood On These Strings" is the raw, unfiltered testimony of a life lived on the edge—fighting battles, facing demons, and finding redemption one chord at a time. The song tells the story of a musician who has poured his struggles, scars, and soul into his guitar. Every note carries the weight of heartache, every lyric bleeds truth, and every strum is a prayer for something more.
Through years of hardship, bad decisions, and roads that led nowhere, music was the only constant. It was the confessional, the battlefield, and the bridge to grace. The blood on these strings ain’t just from calloused fingers—it’s from a heart that’s been broken, tested, and ultimately saved. The song builds from a slow, bluesy lament to a fiery, foot-stomping anthem of perseverance and faith, proving that no matter how rough the road, the music never stops and neither does the fight.
Lyrics
Blood On These Strings
A Deacon Stone Song
(Intro – Spoken Word)
(Slow, gritty, over slide guitar)
These hands? Scarred.
Every note’s a price paid.
Been through fire, still playin’.
(Verse 1)
Dive bars, torn hands, lost nights,
Whiskey, regret, lost fights.
Tried to drown the pain,
But it kept on screamed my name.
(Pre-Chorus 1)
Six strings and a cheap mic,
I’m Praying’ under these bar lights.
Fought the devil note for note,
But the blues still grabbed my throat.
(Verse 2)
Memphis night, rock bottom last call,
Felt my sins in that last chord’s fall.
Fingers cracked, still held the chord,
Played the blues like a rusted sword.
(Pre-Chorus 2
Played ‘til dawn, hands numb,
Then He whispered, “Son, come.”
(Chorus – 4 bars)
Blood on these strings,
Fire in my veins
Cried in the dark
He called my name.
(Verse 3)
Still stumble, but I ain’t the same,
Now I play in Jesus’ name.
Prayed for mercy, none came fast,
So I played my soul like it was my last.
(Pre-Chorus 3)
Still bleedin’, But now it’s good,
Turned my pain to praise Like He said He would.
(Chorus 2)
Blood on these strings
Fire in my veins,
Cried in the dark
He called my name.
Fire in my veins
Echoes in the air,
Layed my demons down
Left ‘em layin’ there.
(Outro – slow fade, last line spoken softly)
"Yeah… still bleedin’… but now, I’m free."