Music

Barstool busted
Broken pride
Lip tastes copper
Knuckles fried
Neon buzzing
Crooked sign
You said forever
Yeah
Not this time

You were talkin’ like a halo
Honey
Holy and high
But the truth hit different when I caught that eye
Got a text Got a name
Got a backseat rhyme
Every promise that you pitched was a pantomime
You were sweet tea spiked with a gasoline grin
Every “baby
I’m yours” was a practiced spin
You were prayin’ on Sunday
Schemin’ Monday night
Every slow-danced secret in a porch swing light

It’s just another flat out lie
Rollin’ off your lips so light
You keep sayin’ we’ll be fine
While you’re crossin’ every line
Yeah Another flat out lie
And I bought it every time
But I ain’t payin’ one more dime
For another flat out lie

You were barefoot
Bank card
Burnin’ up my name
Every checkout counter saw our little flame
Then the cash ran thin and your love ran dry
You were gone with the wind and another guy
You said “trust me”
“trust me”
Breath warm
Eyes wide
But your hands said different every late-night ride
You were love and laughter
Moanin’ too loud
While I played loyal in a room full of doubt

It’s just another flat out lie
Rollin’ off your lips so light
You keep sayin’ we’ll be fine
While you’re crossin’ every line
Yeah
Another flat out lie
And I bought it every time
But I ain’t payin’ one more dime
For another flat out lie

I was dreaming
You were scheming 
Windows steaming 
Moonlight gleaming 
You broke my soul
Was that your goal
You played the roll
And took control 

Now I’m standin’ in the driveway
Boxes piled high
Your perfume’s poison in the midnight sky
Got my keys
Got my dog
Got my crooked smile
You can keep that mattress and your practiced style
’Cause I’m done with the damage and the drawn-out fights
Done with story-time alibis and half-truth nights
If your mouth starts movin’
I just say goodbye
’Cause every “I still love you” is the same old line

It’s just another flat out lie
Rollin’ off your lips so light
You keep sayin’ we’ll be fine
While you’re crossin’ every line
Yeah
Another flat out lie
And I bought it every time
But I ain’t payin’ one more dime
For another flat out lie

Just another flat out lie
Yeah Another flat out lie

Sand in your boots
Dust in your teeth
Letters from home
Folded in the sleeve
Night vision glow
Prayers in the dark
Picture of your kid
Taped over your heart

You stood your post
While the world spun on
We turned the game up
You turned the safety off
We slept in
While you stayed awake
For every promise
This country makes

Thank you for your service, Soldier
You carried that flag on your shoulders
Every mile, every scar, every long cold border
You stand so we stay free, So we stay free
Thank you for your service Soldier

Airport gate
One duffel One grin
Mom can’t talk
Dad just pulls you in
Kids run wild
“Daddy Don’t go”
You smile through the fear
Say “I’ll be home”

You knew the cost
Still you signed your name
Your blood, your bones
In the ledger of this place
We raise our drinks
But we owe you more
Than a “like” and a post
On a message board

Thank you for your service, Soldier
You carried that flag on your shoulders
Every mile, every scar, every long cold border
You stand so we stay free, So we stay free
Thank you for your service Soldier

For the ones who came back broken
For the ones who never did
For the gold-star moms still hoping
For the folded flag by the crib
We remember every brother
Every sister
Every friend
This promise to each other:
We got your six ‘til the end

Thank you for your service, Soldier
You carried that flag on your shoulders
Every mile, every scar, every long cold border
You stand so we stay free, So we stay free
Thank you for your service Soldier

You stood the line
So we could live
The least that we can say
The least that we can give

Thank you for your service, Soldier
You carried that flag on your shoulders
Every mile, every scar, every long cold border
You stand so we stay free, So we stay free
Thank you for your service Soldier

Met you by that rusty gate
Dust on your boots little heart song on your laces
Laugh hit first then your name came later
I was gone in about three phrases you said
Drive slow it’s a long dirt road
But my pulse ran red every look you gave
Windows down hair wild in the mirror
Feel like trouble that I had to chase

Till the full moon rises
I’m yours I’m yours
Out where the sky gets wide and
We’re lost of course
If the sun keeps falling
On your blue jean smile
I’ll stay right here beside you
Till the full moon rises
A little while after that (that that)

Fast talk sunflower seeds on the dash
You drew hearts in the fog on the glass
You said boy don’t blink this night runs quick
I said I’m hanging on to every laugh
Cheap ring I won you at the county fair
You wore it like it meant more than gold
Your hand in mine that tilt of your head
Had me spilling every secret I’d ever told

Till the full moon rises
I’m yours I’m yours
Out where the sky gets wide and
And We’re lost of course
If the sun keeps falling
On your blue jean smile
I’ll stay right here beside you
Till the full moon rises

Clock on the wall keeps throwing numbers
But I’m stuck on your eyes your hand your face
If time runs hot let it burn right through us
We’ll still be slow dancing in this place
If the stars fall down let them fall around us
If the morning comes we’ll outrun that light
Every little second tastes like forever
Your shadow leans into mine tonight

Truck bed blanket crickets all around
Your head on my chest heartbeat loud
You whisper promise you won’t forget this
I say how could I ever do that
I’ll be loving you
I’ll be loving you
Till the full moon rises
And a thousand more after that

Mic Smells like beer
Stage lights in my eyes
I roll my sleeves
Hear the crowd go wild

Met a girl last night, cherry dress, crooked grin
Said you talk too fast, let’s write it on your skin
Shop lights buzzin’ ink gun kissin’ my wrist
Her name one arrow, a dare I couldn’t resist

Another tattoo under my skin
Another bad idea I’m livin’ in
Every little line, every tiny sin
Yeah, they all add up but I’d do it again

Mama shook her head, boy, you’re runnin’ out of space
Got a dice on my neck, broken halo on my face
Every wild weekend turns into a mark I keep
I wear my memory where the hurt runs deep

Another tattoo under my skin
Another bad idea I’m livin’ in
Every little line, every tiny sin
Yeah, they all add up but I’d do it again

First one for the heartbreak, second for the band
Third one when I lost that job and swore I’d never land
Fourth for the nights I should’ve walked away
This one’s for the man I am standing here today

Another tattoo under my skin
Another bad idea I’m livin’ in
Every little line, every tiny sin
Yeah, they all add up but I’d do it again

Pulled up slow
Chrome glow
Friday in the heat
You were leanin’ by the door
Boots bangin’ to the beat
Said
“You the man they been talkin’ ’bout ’round here?”
You stared at my face
Then you grinned at my beard (oh yeah)

Ride my beard, Girl
Hold on tight
Slide on up
We can lose this night
You said
“That’s the wildest seat I’ve steered”
Climb on baby
Come ride my beard

You traced that line from my chin to my chest
Said “I like a little rough with the rest”
Lipstick laughin’
You were pullin’ me near
Fingers doin’ donuts in the curves of my beard

Ride my beard, Girl
Hold on tight
Slide on up
We can lose this night
You said
“That’s the wildest seat I’ve steered”
Climb on baby
Come ride my beard (hey!)

Your hands get lost in the tangle and twine
You said
“Boy, that’s a road I could ride all the time”
From the back of the bar to the cab in the rear
Everywhere we go
You just ride my beard

Ride my beard, Girl
Hold on tight
Slide on up
We can lose this night
You said
“That’s the wildest seat I’ve steered”
Climb on baby
Come ride my beard

In the twilight
Shadows dance alone
Whispers of trust
Like a heart of stone
I built these walls
Worn down from the past
But your tender hand
Can you make it last?

Don’t be careless with my heart
It’s all that I have
A beautiful mess of love that’s worth the scars
Accept me for who I am
All my pieces, my parts
Just hold me close
Don’t be careless with my heart

Every glance
Throws me back to the times
When love was a fire
Spinning endless rhymes
You see my flaws
The storms I’ve weathered through
In this tangled life
Can I trust you too?

Don’t be careless with my heart
It’s all that I have
A beautiful mess of love that’s worth the scars
Accept me for who I am
All my pieces, my parts
Just hold me close
Don’t be careless with my heart

So take this chance
I’m giving you mine
A fragile truth
Wrapped in sweet design
If you’re willing to dive
I will let you in
Just promise me now
You won’t let it end

Don’t be careless with my heart
It’s all that I have
A beautiful mess of love that’s worth the scars
Accept me for who I am
All my pieces, my parts
Just hold me close
Don’t be careless with my heart

Red clay on my boots
Dust on this old Bible
Mama said
“Son You’ll stumble But you’re
stronger than your trials”
Left home with a prayer
And a tank just barely filled
Thought I’d write my own map
He just smiled
And my fate was sealed

I follow His plan with faith
Even when I can’t see straight
Road bends hard
But my heart stays brave
Yeah
I follow His plan with faith
When the night runs long
I say
“Lead on
Lord
I’ll chase Your flame”
I follow His plan with faith

Blue lights in my rearview
Job gone
Ring in a pawn shop tray
Felt like every last good thing
Got stripped clean away
But rock bottom’s just the floor
Where His mercy hits like thunder
He built a doorway in that wall
Turned my wreck into a wonder

I follow His plan with faith
Even when I can’t see straight
Road bends hard
But my heart stays brave
Yeah
I follow His plan with faith
When the night runs long
I say “Lead on Lord
I’ll chase Your flame”
I follow His plan with faith

When it all falls down
And I’m face-down on that ground
I ain’t asking “Why me?”
I’m shouting “Use me now!” (use me now!)
From the back pew to the front line
Every scar’s a guiding sign
If it’s His will then it’s my way
Step by step, day by day

I follow His plan with faith
Even when I can’t see straight
Road bends hard
But my heart stays brave
Yeah
I follow His plan with faith
When the night runs long
I say
“Lead on
Lord
I’ll chase Your flame”
I follow His plan with faith

Sun-up coffee in a Styrofoam cup
Dust on the dashboard
Luck runnin’ low
Last red notice on the kitchen table
Sayin’ everything’s due
Everything must go

Mama said “boy
You better pick one lane”
Sunday suit or Friday night barstool
I’ve been split like a fence in a hurricane
Tryna play it safe
End up playin’ the fool

Been half-in
Half-gone
Half-hearted
Half-wrong
Chasin’ some safer existence
But this old heart
It’s done with the distance

No more resistance
I’m done holdin’ back my soul
No more resistance
Let the fire take control
If it burns it down
Then it burns it down
I’ll roll
No more resistance
I’m comin’ home from the road

Gas station gospel on a torn-up sign
“God loves sinners” in faded red paint
I’ve been prayin’ in the bottom of a bottle
Tryna trade my fear for a little restraint

Slam that tailgate
Throw the toolbox in
Blacktop waitin’ like an old best friend
Got a full tank
Half-paid
Heart wide-open
If it all goes wrong
I’ll just start again

Been white-knuckled
Tight-lipped
Tongue-bit
Soul-tripped
Livin’ on tired excuses
But this wild blood
Refuses to lose this

No more resistance
I’m done holdin’ back my soul
No more resistance
Let the fire take control
If it burns it down
Then it burns it down
I’ll roll
No more resistance
I’m comin’ home from the road

I fought my own shadow in the bathroom glass
Called myself coward
Called myself weak
But the man in the mirror
He’s packin’ his bags
Says “son
It’s time you finally speak”

Kick up gravel
Let the taillights fade
Every mile marker wash the doubt away
If I lose it all
Still I gain this breath
Every scared old part of me lay to rest

No more resistance
(hey, hey)
No more resistance
(oh, I’m done)
No more resistance
I’m comin’ home from the road

Dim lamps sway low and slow under skies
Bleeding amber glow this heart beats
Like a six string hum
Every note says where I’m from
It’s the fire in my blood it’s the dirt in my name
It’s a runaway flood yeah music’s my flame

It’s burning it’s rolling in deep
Through every chord I keep
No healing no escape train
Music’s running through my veins
Through my veins

Steel strings whisper spark my soul alive
Echoes of glory sharp on a knife
Every shadow caught in the sound
A voice in me that can’t stay down
It’s the thunder at dawn it’s the cry of my rage
It’s the war in my soul music’s my stage

It’s burning it’s rolling in deep
Through every chord I keep
No healing no escape train
Music’s running through my veins
Through my veins

When I feel the tension rise
And the Neon start to glow
I just gently close my eyes
And let the music flow

It’s burning it’s rolling in deep
Through every chord I keep
No healing no escape train
Music’s running through my veins
Through my veins

Through my veins

Exit 9 behind the van
Soda can and a shaky hand
Same damn song in a different town
Stage lights up and they pull me down
Torn-up map on the dashboard glow
Half tank left and a hundred to go
Crowd gets loud when I twist that line
But you’re back home and you’re mine all mine

I’m on this road, This broken line
Six strings screaming while I fake I’m fine
Every cheap motel, same ceiling tile
But your front porch is a thousand miles
Yeah, I shake these walls, I chase that shine
But when the crowd’s gone quiet at closing time
Highway hums and the wheels still grind
And home, home’s still on my mind

Backstage couch with the busted seam
Phone goes dark ’cause you’re in a dream
FaceTime freeze
Then the call cuts out
Band cracks jokes just to drown me out
Stickered case and a sweaty shirt
Phone screen cracked and my chest still hurts
Every encore is a borrowed night
Every goodbye is a faded sight

I’m on this road, This broken line
Six strings screaming while I fake I’m fine
Every cheap motel, same ceiling tile
But your front porch is a thousand miles
Yeah, I shake these walls, I chase that shine
But when the crowd’s gone quiet at closing time
Highway hums and the wheels still grind
And home, home’s still on my mind

State sign blurs in a streak of blue
Every mile marker looks like you
Talk into the wind
Call out your name (your name)
GPS says I’m on my way
But it don’t know if I’ll get to stay
’Cause every night’s the same old play
The same old game

I’m on this road, This broken line
Six strings screaming while I fake I’m fine
Every cheap motel, same ceiling tile
But your front porch is a thousand miles
Yeah, I shake these walls, I chase that shine
But when the crowd’s gone quiet at closing time
Highway hums and the wheels still grind
And home, home’s still on my mind

Mud on my tires
Heat in the air
Thunder talking trash like it wants a dare
First drop hits on your sunburned shoulder
You grin and say guess it’s about to roll over
Boots start stomping in the red clay river
Your hand finds mine makes my whole spine shiver

We’re dancing in the downpour girl
Spinning in the storm like it’s our world
Laughing so loud the lightning shakes
You kiss me hard till the dry ground breaks
Yeah dancing in the downpour babe
Soaking wet hearts we ain’t gonna save
Let the sky crack open let it rain
We’re wild and alive in the hurricane

Hat flies off you chase it screaming (woo)
Rain mascara turns to war paint gleaming
Truck bed beat you drum with your fingers
I shout your name and the thunder lingers
Storm gets mean wind starts howling
You just laugh at the dark clouds growling
You climb up close say turn it louder
We’re two young fools daring all that power

Dancing in the downpour girl
Spinning in the storm like it’s our world
Laughing so loud the lightning shakes
You kiss me hard till the dry ground breaks
Yeah dancing in the downpour babe
Soaking wet hearts we ain’t gonna save
Let the sky crack open let it rain
We’re wild and alive in the hurricane

In the shadow of a bottle, I used to hide,
Chasing dreams and memories, they whispered and lied.
Each sip a little fire, each night a heavy freeze,
But the dawn brings the courage, the strength to believe.

So I’ll take it one step at a time,
Leave the past behind, let the heart unwind.
With every heartbeat, I’m shedding this weight,
It’s a journey of healing, not too fast, not too late.

The ghosts of my failures, they still linger near,
But the road stretches forward, I’ll follow the clear.
Every tear is a lesson, every scar tells a tale,
With the sun on my shoulder, I’m learning to sail.

So I’ll take it one step at a time,
Leave the past behind, let the heart unwind.
With every heartbeat, I’m shedding this weight,
It’s a journey of healing, not too fast, not too late.

Through the fields of my sorrow, the flowers will bloom,
With the winds carrying whispers of hope from the gloom.
Each day’s a new sunrise, a chance to restart,
As I’m learning to love with an open heart.

So I’ll take it one step at a time,
Leave the past behind, let the heart unwind.
With every heartbeat, I’m shedding this weight,
It’s a journey of healing, not too fast, not too late.

Black sky
Back road
Cold wind
Heart load

Bare feet beatin’ on a burned out bridge
Red clay caked on the razor edge
Graveyard grin in a rusted grill
Grey fog crawlin’ and it hangs there still
Moonlight lean on a leaning pine
Glass jaw town on a thin fault line
Quick sand sins in a silver spill
Quicksilver tongue but the blood runs chill

Be still
When the dark starts talkin’
It will
Spill every little secret you kill
If you run
That river runs wilder still
Be still
Be still

Sharp nail nick in a knotted cross
Dry well wish and a dripping loss
Wild dog grin with a wire-tight chain
Wild eyes waiting for a weak-link strain
Black cat tracks in the back church yard
Cold hand cards in a roadside bar
Devil deal sealed with a sideways smile
Dust road rattlin’ for a hundred miles

Be still
When the dark starts talkin’
It will
Spill every little secret you kill
If you run
That river runs wilder still
Be still
Be still

Soft voice
Says move
Loud storm
Says prove
Old bones
Say stay
Grim road
Says stray

Left turn leads where the low wind chills
Right turn rides where the pure heart spills
Stand here
Fear
Feel the whole world tilt
Stand here
Hear
How the stones say still

Be still
Ohh… Mmm mhmm…

Old bench
Scarred wood
Metal dust dancing in the light
Rust red
Steel blue
Hammer hits keeping time just right

Coffee in a chipped cup
Thermos by the door
Boot prints in the sawdust
Same trail as before

Alarm hit dark
I was up before it rang
Sun still hid
But the kettle
It sang
Hands find boots
Like they always do
Lace ‘em tight
Like I’m tying to the truth

Clock on the wall
Already talking trash
I clock right back
With a fistful of ash
Grease on my knuckles
Sweat on my neck
Each bolt I turn
Is another small check

Ain’t born rich
So I sharpen my spine
Lay my back to the burden
And my eyes to the line

This is my grindstone glory
Blood on the blade
But it shines
Calloused hands tell the story
One more push up the incline
I’ve been bent
Never broken in two
Hard work’s the only thing
That ever pulled me through

Old man’s coat
Still hangs by the door
Smells like smoke
And a lifetime of storms
He said “Boy
You don’t owe this world a thing
But your word
And the work that you bring”

So I carve that into
Every plank
Every beam
Every stripped thread
Every slipped dream
When the day runs long
And the pay runs thin
I just lean into the weight
Let the grind begin

Every blister
Just a map of the miles
Every bruise on my back
Another reason to smile

This is my grindstone glory
Blood on the blade
But it shines
Calloused hands tell the story
One more

This is my grindstone glory
Blood on the blade
But it shines
Calloused hands tell the story
One more push up the incline
I’ve been bent
Never broken in two
Hard work’s the only thing
That ever pulled me through

Sun creeps low shadows stretch like claws
Wind kicks dust trails in the dirt like laws
Old porch creaks like it’s got something to say
Hound dog barks chasing ghosts away
Laughter howls sharp like a coyote’s cry
Whiskey burns as the hours fly

We’re just burning daylight burning it fast
Every second’s a match every moment won’t last
Guitars wailing like they’re breaking apart
Drums pounding like a runaway heart

Boot heels scuff on the weathered wood
Stories rise like smoke where the fire once stood
Sweat drips down where the heat won’t quit
Feel that rhythm can’t stop won’t sit
Shadows dance wild in the fading light
Burning down the day into the night

We’re just burning daylight burning it fast
Every second’s a match every moment won’t last
Guitar screaming like they’re tearing the sky
Drums crashing like a storm rolling by
Storm rolling by

We’re just burning daylight burning it fast
Every second’s a match every moment won’t last
Guitars wailing like they’re breaking apart
Drums pounding like a runaway heart

It was out on a beach near San Pedro
In their eyes was the salt and the spray
With eyes half blind they looked at me
But all they could see was the gray

So they went to the place where they’d stashed it
And then put it in to their veins
The sand was soft and the sun was warm
But all they could see was the gray

They escaped from a world they called plastic
To a world that was papier-mâché
The sky was blue and the sea was too
But all they could see was the gray

As the sun starts to fade in the distance
And the notes of the music fades
They close their eyes one final time
And they quietly drift away

‘Cuz all they could feel was the gray