"Lonely Road"
Verse 1:
Each season feels new
But they’re always like I knew before
Now I know when to shed the layers
I know when to keep warm
Lift:
And lately I need lighter things
‘Cause inner peace is brighter than
My outerwear or centerpiece/
So easy to lose sight of things
When winning means to bite the hand
A coward where a friend should be/
That used to be, but isn’t me
Chorus (1st Part):
All I know is it’s a lonely road
And I’m just trying to make it through
Verse 2:
Ever been outside of an inside joke?
All along, the laughter wasn’t mutual/
Or been the punch-line but didn’t know?
In a world that you’re not suited for/
Lift:
I was always the one mistaken
running right through the caution tape, and
falling again/
And I burned bridges that were still being built
and went down with them swinging, but still
It made me learn to swim/
And crave the Earth again
Chorus (Full):
All I know is it’s a lonely road
And I’m just trying to make it through
The pain is fleeting, still it cuts too close
For me to say I’ve made it through
Where I’m going, it’s too soon to know
All I know is, it's a lonely road
“Poor Girl“
verse 1:
I dodged a bullet
but it had to stop somehow
bring something to ruin
open another heart and let it bleed out
and i know it's hard to think
with all the fantasies in your head
you poor girl
can't see the flags waving red
chorus:
hold your breath
'cause when the fire's out
there'll be nothing left
and he'll be gone
as fast as it spread
you think you're the lucky one
he just ain't done with you yet
verse 2:
does he teach you to drum
to the beat of your heart?
so the sound keeps you numb
to it's falling apart
i know it's hard to think
when he's singing you to sleep at night
you poor girl
you've got stars in your eyes
chorus:
hold your breath
'cause when the fire's out
there'll be nothing left
and he'll be gone
as fast as it spread
you think you're the lucky one
he just ain't done with you yet
bridge:
you got the ring
the white dress
and i'm just a bitter thing
it seems, such a mess
well, you get that bottle
of celebratory wine
take your glass and pour girl
it's gonna be a long ride
"Pack It Up"
Verse 1:
You wander til' it runs you ragged
Got roamin' flowing in your blood/
And you don't even slip, no staggering
When my tears turn your dirt to mud/
Well last night, i was gonna let you have it
But you never showed up/
You left the receipt in your light blue jeans
Where you wrote her number in red/
And i washed them clean
What a shame, the ink bled/
But by now you must have her place in your memory
And since you'd rather be there instead/
Chorus:
Pack it up, honey
move it on darling
'Cause you were made for running
and we ain't getting too far here
So pack it up, honey
Verse 2:
You make promises that you won't keep
And the spaces where you spoke them are vacant/
A broken promise of a promise ring
All of my fingers are still naked/
Just one night, won't she let you be free
Your things are waitin'/
Chorus:
Pack it up, honey
move it on darling
'Cause you were made for running
and we ain't getting too far here
So pack it up, honey
Bridge:
While you're out there, you might think of me
A passing thought just out of your reach/
But if the roads you travel become too steep/
If the distance unravels a longing/
and you look back at the gravel where it collapsed under your feet/
don't follow your footsteps back to me/
Pack it up, honey
“Diary, Dear”
Verse 1:
My mama, she told me so
My daddy waved the same red flags her way/
So I swore I'd change the scenario
But you may as well be a mirror to my daddy's face/
And leave me entirely/
My friends are getting tired of this
All I do is complain when I bring up your name/
Say I make a fun night feel like a bad trip
And if I have nothing nice to say/
Put it in my diary/
Chorus:
You know that words can heal or hurt
but everything I put down leaves a sting/
And the pages will burn with the lessons I refuse to learn
and all the time we're wasting keeps running out like the ink/
Still you're the star, the end and start of my tears
in my diary, dear
Verse 2:
There are gaps in the dates that go on for weeks
that's when we were busy painting the town/
And black spots where my tears smeared the ink
and bold letters for words I shouldn't say out loud/
Or even quietly/
Chorus:
You know that words can heal or hurt
but everything I put down leaves a sting/
And the pages will burn with the lessons I refuse to learn
and all the time we're wasting keeps running out like the ink/
Still you're the star, the end and start of my tears
in my diary, dear
Bridge:
Between the riddles and the funny faces/
I draw the petals I'd pick if you would fill my vase/
sometimes you only exist here in the pages/
of my diary, dear
you're never really here
Chorus:
You know that words can heal or hurt,
but everything I put down leaves a sting/
And the pages will burn with the lessons I refuse to learn
and all the time we're wasting keeps running out like the ink/
Still you're the star, the end and start of my tears
in my diary, dear
"Before the After"
Verse 1:
I'll dance alone in the dress you loved
satin edges, the red and let your records play
over and over i'll sing/
And dream alone in the bed where love
was fresh, there'll be wreckage there in your place
over i'll trace where you'd sleep/
Lift:
There'll be many nights and mornings of mourning
Tears that will fall without any warning
And word moves fast 'round here, soon we'll be top story
Won't be our greatest glory, still
Chorus:
Before the after that always comes too soon
Before the laughter turns into empty rooms
Before the magic becomes a beautiful disaster
I'll love you 'til you can't stand it
Before the after
Verse 2:
I'll sit there in the bar downtown
where we'd toast, sippin' slow on your favorite wine
sober i hope i'll be/
and strangers will call out "one more round"
while they boast, telling jokes and i'll pretend I'm fine
sober, or just one drink/
Chorus:
Before the after that always comes too soon
Before the laughter turns into empty rooms
Before the magic becomes a beautiful disaster
I'll love you 'til you can't stand it
Before the after
Outro:
There'll be answers we missed, 'neath stones left unturned
But right now we're still writing with sticks in the dirt
like this isn't gonna hurt
"Sweet Little Ditty"
Verse 1:
Twenty-one, we were smoking gun, fever-running hot/
But he had dreams I just couldn't see past the parking lot/
Of our one small town grocery store/
He always knew there was something more/
And at twenty-one he was ready to run
Chorus:
The last thing he wrote me was a sweet little ditty
Next thing I knew he was in a new city
And I was just getting by/
Last thing he said was, "You'll see me in lights,
You'll hear this song and remember these nights"
And I'd search for him there in dark skies/
Verse 2:
Twenty-four, I was raising horses when he tracked me down/
On the same farm where he first laid on the charm, but it was different now/
He said he had a girlfriend and was working real hard/
Playing most nights in small clubs and bars/
And at twenty-four he was walking away once more
Chorus:
The last thing he wrote me was that sweet little ditty
Next thing I knew he was in a new city
And I was just getting by/
Last thing he said was " You doing alright?
I'm not in town long, just here for the night"
And I'd still search for him there in the dark skies/
Bridge:
Twenty six, I was working the late shift, and I was ready to go/
But I hushed the restaurant when that song came on the radio/
It sounded so different with all those guitars/
But he still sang it with all of his heart/
And at twenty-six he finally made it
Outro:
The last thing he wrote me was that sweet little ditty
They play it now in every city
And I hear he loves playing it live/
Last time I heard it I remembered those nights
Swore I saw his name with the rest of the stars
in the sky/
"Make It Home"
Verse 1:
Mama tried to make it out, but her account was always in the red/
So she said we'd hang around and make this place like home instead/
So mama tried to make it ours, got a dog, a TV, canned food in the cupboards/
A hose to drink from on the lawn and plants in windows that bloomed then hovered/
We lived in that place for so long/
but not long enough to make it home/
Still mama tried to make it so, put used books in shelves and taped pictures to the walls/
Wasn't long before they'd fall on their own, yeah mama tried to make it home/
Chorus:
Sometimes I'd wish for more in life
Like being rich enough to afford nice things
But dreaming was as far as it'd ever go/
And sometimes I'd pray for more time
While wasting away what were my dreams
See, I didn't know then that what's inside is what makes a home/
Verse 2:
My brother he was in and out, wrote long letters and cried on the phone/
Behind those thick steel bars, I doubt he could ever make it feel like home/
And soon I found a place for me with money from the restaurant/
With walls that moaned and floors that creaked and neighbors fighting in earshot/
Mama couldn't teach what mama didn't know/
Like how to make a place a home/
Chorus:
Sometimes I'd wish for more in life
Like being rich enough to afford nice things
But dreaming was as far as it'd ever go/
And sometimes I'd pray for more time
While wasting away what were my dreams
See, I didn't know then that what's inside is what makes a home/
Bridge:
My brother, he was out this time, and in the church were holy folks/
We stood among the singing choir and held hands as the preacher spoke/
Then met up at the place where we chose to lay her tired bones/
Glad we were both right there to see our mama finally make it home/
"Tuesday Morning"
Verse 1:
Tuesday won't come fast enough, I've cleaned my room three times
How else could I prepare for this? should I practice a smile?
Sitting there on the sidewalk, counting all the red trucks
The one he'd park on the sidewalk is in the yard full of dust
Chorus:
Daddy's coming home, Daddy's coming home finally
Daddy's coming home, on Tuesday morning
Verse 2:
It's been years since he started, coming home and then he's gone
To fight for our country, we kept the TV on
Standing there in the hallway, where Mama's hanging his suit
Standing there in the hallway, I give a private salute
Chorus:
Daddy's coming home, Daddy's coming home finally
Daddy's coming home, on Tuesday morning
Bridge:
Tuesday's coming too fast now, I haven't got any rest
Crying, she comes in my bedroom, I feel a hurt in my chest
"It's almost time," says mama, "we want to look our best,
so don't waste time," says mama, "picking out your black dress"
Chorus:
Daddy's coming home, Daddy's coming home finally
Daddy's coming home, on Tuesday morning
Verse 1:
Each season feels new
But they’re always like I knew before
Now I know when to shed the layers
I know when to keep warm
Lift:
And lately I need lighter things
‘Cause inner peace is brighter than
My outerwear or centerpiece/
So easy to lose sight of things
When winning means to bite the hand
A coward where a friend should be/
That used to be, but isn’t me
Chorus (1st Part):
All I know is it’s a lonely road
And I’m just trying to make it through
Verse 2:
Ever been outside of an inside joke?
All along, the laughter wasn’t mutual/
Or been the punch-line but didn’t know?
In a world that you’re not suited for/
Lift:
I was always the one mistaken
running right through the caution tape, and
falling again/
And I burned bridges that were still being built
and went down with them swinging, but still
It made me learn to swim/
And crave the Earth again
Chorus (Full):
All I know is it’s a lonely road
And I’m just trying to make it through
The pain is fleeting, still it cuts too close
For me to say I’ve made it through
Where I’m going, it’s too soon to know
All I know is, it's a lonely road
“Poor Girl“
verse 1:
I dodged a bullet
but it had to stop somehow
bring something to ruin
open another heart and let it bleed out
and i know it's hard to think
with all the fantasies in your head
you poor girl
can't see the flags waving red
chorus:
hold your breath
'cause when the fire's out
there'll be nothing left
and he'll be gone
as fast as it spread
you think you're the lucky one
he just ain't done with you yet
verse 2:
does he teach you to drum
to the beat of your heart?
so the sound keeps you numb
to it's falling apart
i know it's hard to think
when he's singing you to sleep at night
you poor girl
you've got stars in your eyes
chorus:
hold your breath
'cause when the fire's out
there'll be nothing left
and he'll be gone
as fast as it spread
you think you're the lucky one
he just ain't done with you yet
bridge:
you got the ring
the white dress
and i'm just a bitter thing
it seems, such a mess
well, you get that bottle
of celebratory wine
take your glass and pour girl
it's gonna be a long ride
"Pack It Up"
Verse 1:
You wander til' it runs you ragged
Got roamin' flowing in your blood/
And you don't even slip, no staggering
When my tears turn your dirt to mud/
Well last night, i was gonna let you have it
But you never showed up/
You left the receipt in your light blue jeans
Where you wrote her number in red/
And i washed them clean
What a shame, the ink bled/
But by now you must have her place in your memory
And since you'd rather be there instead/
Chorus:
Pack it up, honey
move it on darling
'Cause you were made for running
and we ain't getting too far here
So pack it up, honey
Verse 2:
You make promises that you won't keep
And the spaces where you spoke them are vacant/
A broken promise of a promise ring
All of my fingers are still naked/
Just one night, won't she let you be free
Your things are waitin'/
Chorus:
Pack it up, honey
move it on darling
'Cause you were made for running
and we ain't getting too far here
So pack it up, honey
Bridge:
While you're out there, you might think of me
A passing thought just out of your reach/
But if the roads you travel become too steep/
If the distance unravels a longing/
and you look back at the gravel where it collapsed under your feet/
don't follow your footsteps back to me/
Pack it up, honey
“Diary, Dear”
Verse 1:
My mama, she told me so
My daddy waved the same red flags her way/
So I swore I'd change the scenario
But you may as well be a mirror to my daddy's face/
And leave me entirely/
My friends are getting tired of this
All I do is complain when I bring up your name/
Say I make a fun night feel like a bad trip
And if I have nothing nice to say/
Put it in my diary/
Chorus:
You know that words can heal or hurt
but everything I put down leaves a sting/
And the pages will burn with the lessons I refuse to learn
and all the time we're wasting keeps running out like the ink/
Still you're the star, the end and start of my tears
in my diary, dear
Verse 2:
There are gaps in the dates that go on for weeks
that's when we were busy painting the town/
And black spots where my tears smeared the ink
and bold letters for words I shouldn't say out loud/
Or even quietly/
Chorus:
You know that words can heal or hurt
but everything I put down leaves a sting/
And the pages will burn with the lessons I refuse to learn
and all the time we're wasting keeps running out like the ink/
Still you're the star, the end and start of my tears
in my diary, dear
Bridge:
Between the riddles and the funny faces/
I draw the petals I'd pick if you would fill my vase/
sometimes you only exist here in the pages/
of my diary, dear
you're never really here
Chorus:
You know that words can heal or hurt,
but everything I put down leaves a sting/
And the pages will burn with the lessons I refuse to learn
and all the time we're wasting keeps running out like the ink/
Still you're the star, the end and start of my tears
in my diary, dear
"Before the After"
Verse 1:
I'll dance alone in the dress you loved
satin edges, the red and let your records play
over and over i'll sing/
And dream alone in the bed where love
was fresh, there'll be wreckage there in your place
over i'll trace where you'd sleep/
Lift:
There'll be many nights and mornings of mourning
Tears that will fall without any warning
And word moves fast 'round here, soon we'll be top story
Won't be our greatest glory, still
Chorus:
Before the after that always comes too soon
Before the laughter turns into empty rooms
Before the magic becomes a beautiful disaster
I'll love you 'til you can't stand it
Before the after
Verse 2:
I'll sit there in the bar downtown
where we'd toast, sippin' slow on your favorite wine
sober i hope i'll be/
and strangers will call out "one more round"
while they boast, telling jokes and i'll pretend I'm fine
sober, or just one drink/
Chorus:
Before the after that always comes too soon
Before the laughter turns into empty rooms
Before the magic becomes a beautiful disaster
I'll love you 'til you can't stand it
Before the after
Outro:
There'll be answers we missed, 'neath stones left unturned
But right now we're still writing with sticks in the dirt
like this isn't gonna hurt
"Sweet Little Ditty"
Verse 1:
Twenty-one, we were smoking gun, fever-running hot/
But he had dreams I just couldn't see past the parking lot/
Of our one small town grocery store/
He always knew there was something more/
And at twenty-one he was ready to run
Chorus:
The last thing he wrote me was a sweet little ditty
Next thing I knew he was in a new city
And I was just getting by/
Last thing he said was, "You'll see me in lights,
You'll hear this song and remember these nights"
And I'd search for him there in dark skies/
Verse 2:
Twenty-four, I was raising horses when he tracked me down/
On the same farm where he first laid on the charm, but it was different now/
He said he had a girlfriend and was working real hard/
Playing most nights in small clubs and bars/
And at twenty-four he was walking away once more
Chorus:
The last thing he wrote me was that sweet little ditty
Next thing I knew he was in a new city
And I was just getting by/
Last thing he said was " You doing alright?
I'm not in town long, just here for the night"
And I'd still search for him there in the dark skies/
Bridge:
Twenty six, I was working the late shift, and I was ready to go/
But I hushed the restaurant when that song came on the radio/
It sounded so different with all those guitars/
But he still sang it with all of his heart/
And at twenty-six he finally made it
Outro:
The last thing he wrote me was that sweet little ditty
They play it now in every city
And I hear he loves playing it live/
Last time I heard it I remembered those nights
Swore I saw his name with the rest of the stars
in the sky/
"Make It Home"
Verse 1:
Mama tried to make it out, but her account was always in the red/
So she said we'd hang around and make this place like home instead/
So mama tried to make it ours, got a dog, a TV, canned food in the cupboards/
A hose to drink from on the lawn and plants in windows that bloomed then hovered/
We lived in that place for so long/
but not long enough to make it home/
Still mama tried to make it so, put used books in shelves and taped pictures to the walls/
Wasn't long before they'd fall on their own, yeah mama tried to make it home/
Chorus:
Sometimes I'd wish for more in life
Like being rich enough to afford nice things
But dreaming was as far as it'd ever go/
And sometimes I'd pray for more time
While wasting away what were my dreams
See, I didn't know then that what's inside is what makes a home/
Verse 2:
My brother he was in and out, wrote long letters and cried on the phone/
Behind those thick steel bars, I doubt he could ever make it feel like home/
And soon I found a place for me with money from the restaurant/
With walls that moaned and floors that creaked and neighbors fighting in earshot/
Mama couldn't teach what mama didn't know/
Like how to make a place a home/
Chorus:
Sometimes I'd wish for more in life
Like being rich enough to afford nice things
But dreaming was as far as it'd ever go/
And sometimes I'd pray for more time
While wasting away what were my dreams
See, I didn't know then that what's inside is what makes a home/
Bridge:
My brother, he was out this time, and in the church were holy folks/
We stood among the singing choir and held hands as the preacher spoke/
Then met up at the place where we chose to lay her tired bones/
Glad we were both right there to see our mama finally make it home/
"Tuesday Morning"
Verse 1:
Tuesday won't come fast enough, I've cleaned my room three times
How else could I prepare for this? should I practice a smile?
Sitting there on the sidewalk, counting all the red trucks
The one he'd park on the sidewalk is in the yard full of dust
Chorus:
Daddy's coming home, Daddy's coming home finally
Daddy's coming home, on Tuesday morning
Verse 2:
It's been years since he started, coming home and then he's gone
To fight for our country, we kept the TV on
Standing there in the hallway, where Mama's hanging his suit
Standing there in the hallway, I give a private salute
Chorus:
Daddy's coming home, Daddy's coming home finally
Daddy's coming home, on Tuesday morning
Bridge:
Tuesday's coming too fast now, I haven't got any rest
Crying, she comes in my bedroom, I feel a hurt in my chest
"It's almost time," says mama, "we want to look our best,
so don't waste time," says mama, "picking out your black dress"
Chorus:
Daddy's coming home, Daddy's coming home finally
Daddy's coming home, on Tuesday morning
