Zach Bryan - American Heartbreak Album Lyrics

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Late July

I heard life is what passes when you're too busy living
And love is at its finest when times are hard
And may your lady always keep you from the vices you've been after
May the Lord always love you where you are

I'm heading down the road I guess
Another good time I'll regret
But I wish that I was coming home to you
Late July, oh my, all in good time
Praying that my girl is fine
Sleeping in while rain falls on the roof

Hope your sunsets always bleed red
And your family's always well fed
And the song stuck in your head
Plays all night

I'm heading down the road I guess
Another good time I'll regret
But I wish that I was coming home to you
Late July, oh my, all in good time
Praying that my girl is fine
Sleeping in while rain falls on the roof

Heading down the road I guess
Another good time I'll regret
But I wish that I was coming home to you
Late July, oh my, all in good time
Praying that my girl is fine
Sleeping in while rain falls on the roof

---

Something in the Orange (Z&E's Version)

It'll be fine by dusk light I'm telling you, baby
These things eat at your bones and drive your young mind crazy
But when you place your head between my collar and jaw
I don't know much but there's no weight at all

And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't
'Cause if I say I miss you I know that you won't
But I miss you in the mornings when I see the sun
Something in the orange tells me we're not done

To you I'm just a man, to me you're all I am
Where the hell am I supposed to go?
I poisoned myself again
Something in the orange tells me you're never coming home

I need to hear you say you've been waitin' all night
There's orange dancing in your eyes from bulb light
Your voice only trembles when you try to speak
Take me back to us dancing, this wood used to creak

To you I'm just a man, to me you're all I am
Where the hell am I supposed to go?
I poisoned myself again
Something in the orange tells me you're never coming home

To you I'm just a man, to me you're all I am
Where the hell am I supposed to go?
I poisoned myself again
Something in the orange tells me you're never coming home

If you leave today, I'll just stare at the way
The orange touches all things around
The grass, trees and dew, how I just hate you
Please turn those headlights around
Please turn those headlights around

---

Heavy Eyes

Remember when David dashed
A twelve pack of Budweiser heavy for the road?
Two kids in the back, drunk off their ass
Screamin' in an old Bronco

And I recall what she said that she wanted me dead
But there ain't no grave deep enough
Remember all the nights we had?
You said it ain't so bad
Keep those heavy eyes looking up

Remember when Mary brought her own Jane?
Lucas thought he was gonna die
'Cause stars started fallin' out of a night cloud
From a clear Midwestern sky

I recall what she said, screamin' that the sky is red
It's burned into a younger man's mind
Remember all the days we had?
I'd say it ain't so bad
Keep those heavy eyes soft and kind

Oh, when I'm old, I will recall
All the nights we spent outlaws
It's getting cold
But that sun is crestin'
And heavy eyes ain't born for restin'

Who's gonna drive us home
The boys and me? Our walking staggered vision blurred
One thing you'll come to know
The boys back home live for things like dead man's curve

I recall what he said, he'd rather be gone and dead
Than livin' like those sad folks in town
I can't take this soul with me
If I go, I'm goin' quickly
Keep those heavy eyes free and proud

Oh, when I'm old, I will recall
All the nights we spent outlaws
It's getting cold
But that sun is crestin'
And heavy eyes ain't born for restin'

Oh, when I'm old, I will recall
All the nights we spent outlaws
It's getting cold
But that sun is crestin'
And heavy eyes ain't born for restin'

---

Mine Again

You are mine again, every mistake that you made
All the people that you saved, took a little piece of you with them

You are mine again and I'm so damn glad you're here
Talking strong, sober and clear, like you couldn't back then

How many sad songs it take, to get your stubborn ass awake?
What finally got you rising from your bed?

Was it the sunset on her cheeks, leading down to her delicate collarbones
Or the judgement of your mind when you're alone

Mine again, my fondest friend where the hell you been?
I've been struggling to get back to you

And if you fight all night, I'm sure you'll gain the guts to try
To get past the things that you've been through
'Cause no one plays the fool quite like you

Are those tires you got still turning?
Is that spirit you had still burning?
Do you still talk that shit the way you did before?

all the women and the wages and the wars that I've been waging
I just don't feel like fighting anymore

Mine again, my fondest friend where the hell you been
I've been struggling to get back to you

And if you fight all night, I'm sure you'll gain the guts to try
To get past the things that you've been through
'Cause no one plays it cool quite the way you

Mine again, so head back home and be who you know you can
Mine again, so don't be so cruel and play God with all his plans

Well, I am mine again, every mistake that I made
And I ain't ashamed to say who the hell I am
'Cause I am mine again and I'm so damn glad I'm here
Talking strong, sober and clear, like I couldn't back then

---

Happy Instead

Well, I've been pacing this room for forty hours
Crawling up the walls and trying not to call
And I saw you walking in a supermarket aisle
I didn't say a word 'cause you had the biggest smile
And I've been thinking of you in the morning time
You woke me up so soft, I forgot the world ain't kind
I'd pull you in and you'd kiss me through a grin
And you'd say you missed me when you were busy sleeping

But what if I said, happy instead
Is the way that I reckon it should be
And if you'd call, you'd say that you're okay
And I'd be wishing I was there
'Cause you're happy instead, happy instead

And I've been dreaming of the life we woulda had
Happy at times but mostly just mad
Maybe it'll worked out, maybe it'd been fine
But every day your smile ain't showing seems a waste of time

So what if I said, happy instead
Is the way that I reckon it should be
And if you'd call, you'd say that you're okay
And I'd be wishing I was there
'Cause you're happy instead, happy instead

And it's been ten years, I haven't called you once
But you called last night and my child up and jumped
He asked who you were and you did the same
Handed me the phone and I couldn't recall your name

What if I said, happy instead
Is the way that I reckon I should be
And if you'd call, you'll hear that I was okay
And you'd be wishing you was there
'Cause I'm happy instead, happy instead
Oh, I'm happy instead
Happy instead

What if I said, happy instead
Is the way that I reckon I should be
And if you call, you'd hear that I'm okay
And you'd be wishing you was there
'Cause I'm happy instead

---

Right Now The Best

(Okay, one take, one take)

This whole world's always waiting on tomorrow
Itching, fiending for whatever happens next
But what if I told you they're all lying
And I love you for who you are right now, the best
Everyone thinks they're going the wrong way
But they're looking at their maps all wrong
'Cause everywhere somewhere to someone
And in a rush, you cannot dance to smooth slow songs

So, I'm gonna slow on down, someway, somehow
Today ain't different from the rest
And the you that I pine for, oh, the you that I need
Oh, the you of right now is the best

This hating heart healed by the hopeful
And I think I got a song that you'll like
It's awfully long and such a throatful
But it's perfect for a night like tonight
About you on the coast in water
Those wild waves crash cross your skin
One of those days you miss already
And it ain't even have the damn chance to end
And I think grandfather's gone crazy
He keeps rambling on about way back when
Bragging 'bout grandma and war times
All the friends that he's lost once again

So I'm gonna slow on down, someway, somehow
Today ain't different from the rest
Oh, the you that I pine for, the you that I need
Oh, the you of right now is the best

---

The Outskirts

Well, I want a home on the outskirts of town
Come around sundown to hear the sound
Kids and the crickets under pinky skies
Swing on by 'cause we're drinking tonight

Well, in my mind, trees line the drive
There's a kind, loving lady barely laughing inside
And in the morning while we're drinking brew
She'll say, "The city ain't nothing like the outskirts with you"

And fireflies and some scheming eyes
Will turn this house into a home
Then we'll grin in the driveway
Hell, your smile outdoes the dawn
Hold on, hope is on the way
Oh, I swear to God
I'll take you to the outskirts one day

Well, I want a home on the outskirts of town
Where the wind chimes sing to the porch swing crowd
June into August, August to May
With the sun beating down or the snow in the way

The smell of fresh cut grass in the yard
I don't care who you are, drink a fifth, bring your heart
You put down the tailgate, I'll put down a tune
'Cause out in the 'skirts we move and shake with the moon

With fireflies and some scheming eyes
We'll turn this house into a home
Then we'll grin in the driveway
Hell, your smile outdoes the dawn
Hold on, hope is on the way
Oh, I swear to God
I'll take you to the outskirts one day
Oh, I swear to God
I'll take you to the outskirts one day

With fireflies and some scheming eyes
We'll turn this house into a home
Then we'll grin in the driveway
Hell, your smile outdoes the dawn
Hold on, hope is on the way
Oh, I swear to God
We'll make it to the outskirts one day
Oh, I swear to God
We'll make it to the outskirts one day

---

Younger Years

(Two, one, two, three, four)

Johnny's in the drive and he's drinking again
Rough crowd downtown but they're all my friends
By the end of the night I won't recall my name
Well, my Levi jean queen, I've been here all night, see
Someday I'll take you somewhere it never rains
But for right now I'm tearing down this town
How being young is so painful and strange

Deborah's on the bar and she's dancing again
To an old folk song that reminds her of him
She ain't getting down 'til they carry her away
She was his Levi jean queen but he's long gone now, see
At the end of the night she'll get choked up by his name
And she'll try her best just to let him go
Well, she's sick and tired of his rough and younger ways

Letting go, moving on, keeping strong and finding God
I find it awfully odd we made it here
A few good friends on the longest night, getting high until we cry
Enjoying all the pain of younger years

And now I'm drunk and walking home all alone, my honey
Looking for a better place to spend my money
Like taking my Levi jean queen to see the stars
Tougher than a lover and leaner than a fighter
Looks to me we got another all nighter
I think God put us exactly where we are

Letting go, moving on, keeping strong and finding God
I find it awfully odd we made it here
A few good friends on the longest night, getting high until we cry
Enjoying all the pain of younger years
Enjoying all the pain of younger years

Well, Johnny's in the drive and he's drinking again
Rough crowd downtown but they're all my friends
By the end of the night I won't recall my name

---

Cold, Damn Vampires

Them damn, cold vampires, been keeping me awake
Tryna' build an empire of things that they can take
But don't let em' steal your hope child
And turn it something green
Damn you and damn all your ties to this machine
Ties to this machine

You moved to the city girl
To make something of yourself
But them vampires are groping you every night on East and 12th
So every night you carry, a knife and some spray
To keep them blood suckers at least a four inch blade away
A four inch blade away

Then damn, cold vampires
Been keeping me awake
Tryna' build an empire of the things that they can take
But don't let em' steal your hope child
And turn it something green
So damn you, and damn all your ties to this machine
Your ties to this machine

Well, so you want to be an artist
Make something that makes sense
'Cause them vampires will take every ounce of the blood that you can give
Never let em' speak
And don't let em' tell a lie
Let 'em know that you're walking alone to a warm home tonight

Then damn, cold vampires
Been keeping me awake
Tryna' build an empire of the things that they can take
But don't let em' steal your hope child
And turn it something green
Damn you, and damn all your ties to this machine
Ties to this machine

But there's hope for the mortal to stay clear and stay true
So look out for the vampires that are on the hunt for you
'Cause they're on the hunt for you

Then damn, cold vampires
Been keeping me awake
Tryna' build an empire of things that they can take
But don't let em' steal your hope child
And turn it something green
Damn you, and damn all your ties to this machine
Ties to this machine
Your ties to the machine

---

Tishhomingo

Well I don't think that the city moves slow enough for me
So I'm gonna leave now and I ain't showing no warnings
And I know that mama said that love'll always lead you home
But I been following this lonely road for way too long

So won't you pray for me tonight?
I've been heading down a dark cold road
I've been dreaming of a porch swing with some lights
Hoping I can find myself back home

Now I'm breaking horses out in Tishomingo
And every night I lie there and wonder where good men's dreams go
And most nights I wonder how far train cars can travel
Or how far a man can go before one's truly unraveled

So won't you pray for me tonight?
I've been heading down a dark cold road
And I've been dreaming of a porch swing with some lights
Hoping I can find myself back home

Don't jump in so quick kid, you're gonna wind up hurt
She's with a new man in New York the last time I heard
And I know that mama said that love'll always lead me home
But I been following a lonely road for way too long

So won't you pray for me tonight?
I've been heading down a dark cold road
I've been dreaming of a you by my side
Praying I can get myself back home

---

She's Alright

Well the moon in New York tonight was beautiful
Wish you were around to see it too
I'm so happy I could cry
Why'd you'd have to go and die like that
Its hard when people ain't around to see
The smiles that they nurture, the smiles that they breed

These people don't know me
And I don't feel like showing what I've seen(Verse 2)
And I threw up on a corner in Philadelphia
She said boy there ain't no real point in helping ya'
The only thing you've ever owned was high hopes and a pocket comb
You fool

Don't act like you know who I am
Cause the more I explain the less you understand
Those assholes downtown, are the only ones around that even try

Look up Tonight
The moon she's shining
And we'll be aright
Cause she's still smiling

These city lights would blow mamas mind
And the more I search the less I find
But she's alright

---

You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear how much I love you
So please don't take my sunshine away

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamt I held you in my tired arms
When I awoke dear, I was mistaken
So I bowed my head and I cried

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear how much I love you
So please don't take my sunshine away

I've always loved you, made you happy
And nothin' else could come between
But now you've left me to love another
And you shattered all my dreams

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear how much I love you
So please don't take my sunshine away

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
So please don't take my sunshine away

---

Darling

Won't you hold me through the shakes darlin'?
Well, it's fine if you cut and run
At first light of a cresting sun
Right now I'm feenin'

And if you're still in town
When my better days roll around
We'll heat this ground and dance like two hearts bleedin'
The city is so loud and the hotel kicked me out
Do you think that she's still proud of lookin' down
The world got so confusin' I'm a tool for cheap amusement
And they all hate me from here to Tennessee

So hold me through the shakes, although it's more than I can take
There ain't no choice for damaged boys like me
Hold me through the shakes, although its more than you can take
And when you wake you'll still be my darling
And when you wake I'm yours to take, darling

Let me have my bloody knuckles
All my nights of dark cold trouble
When I was through I was hopin' you might wait for me
Laid me out to be
Something I don't understand
How I am just a man, my darling

Now I'm lost in Denver
With a postcard I could send ya
But I don't know of any good it'd do
So I'll photograph the lights
'Cause they remind me of your eyes
And pray for you until I untangle this blue

But hold me through the shakes, although it's more than I can take
There ain't no choice for damaged boys like me
Hold me through the shakes, although its more than you can take
And when you wake you'll still be my darling
When you wake I'm yours to take, darling

Well, hold me through the shakes, although it's more than I can take
There ain't no choice for damaged boys like me
Hold me through the shakes, although its more than you can take
And when you wake you'll still be my darling
When you wake I'm yours to take, darling

---

Ninth Cloud

Look at me, so damaged and destroyed
With this world's plans and its ploys to take me out
I'm on a highway directly to the moon
With no plans on stopping soon, I'm leaving town

Them Christians are talking so often of coffins
No Heaven's could top this moment now

My foot out the window and my flask halfway full
I may have to pull over soon
I can't afford a motel, but the floorboards will work well
I'll sleep there 'til tomorrow afternoon
Then I'll get on the road again, had another chance at fittin' in
But fittin' in to kids like me is dyin'
But I know when I'm with you
After one shot or twenty-two and a cigarette, I'll feel like I'm flying

Them Christians are talking so often of coffins
No Heaven's could top this moment now
I've searched and I've found to get to that ninth cloud
You must trek through some dark and troubled ground
So may we all
Just once or twice, once in this life, just look around
'Cause usually I'm a wreck
But the hard times were just a step to get where I am on this ninth cloud

And we're singing, feeling good again
Just passed 3:04 AM
I'm talking like the sun'll never rise
But the sun will crest the trees and bring this devil to his knees
As it outlines the silver in these skies

Them Christians are talking so often of coffins
No Heaven's could top this moment now
I've searched and I've found to get to that ninth cloud
You must trek through some dark and troubled grounds
So may we all
Just once or twice, once in this life, just look around
'Cause usually I'm a wreck
But the hard times were just a step to get where I am on this ninth cloud

Look at me, so damaged and destroyed
With this world's plans and its ploys to take me out
I'm on a highway directly to the moon
With no plans on stopping soon, I'm leaving town

---

Oklahoma City

(Four, three, two)

Old friend, it's been awhile, and I ain't spoke to you in years
And often times boys from this town put wheels down and disappear
Mrs. Cole asked about you just three days back
And I had no answer to give her
I told her that you moved way out West to write some songs
And grow a little more bitter
The kids talk about you around here like you're some kind of legend
I wonder if they know a thousand sunrises ago you were eager just like them?

But if you ever decide to bring your pain
And your pride back to this side of Oklahoma City
There'll be a porch light on from the post you leaned on
'Fore you wound up on the wrong side of pity
And often times I pray for you and often times I don't
Is it the goodbyes that haunt you, or the fear of new hellos?
Won't stay long 'cause you won't stop your running
Wait for tomorrow 'til tomorrow's not coming

(woo)
(All over)

Heard you landed in Tulsa while he slipped away
Is that the reason your fleeing the fields we hauled hay?
Heat this July or the dark last December
Look in my eyes and you might remember
Weed out in Norman, the Stillwater strip
Run far enough boy and you're bound to trip

But if you ever decide to bring your pain
And your pride back to this side of Oklahoma City
There'll be a porch light on from the post you leaned on
'Fore you wound up on the wrong side of pity
And often times I pray for you and often times I don't
Is it the goodbyes that haunt you, or the fear of new hellos?
Never stay long 'cause you won't stop your running
Wait for tomorrow 'til tomorrow's not coming
(Send it)

(woo)

(Keep it goin')

If you ever decide to bring your pain
And your pride back to this side of Oklahoma City
There'll be a porch light on from the post you leaned on
'Fore you wound up on the wrong side of pity
And often times I pray for you and often times I don't
Is it the goodbyes that haunt you, or the fear of new hellos?
Never stay long 'cause you won't stop your running
Wait for tomorrow 'til tomorrow's not coming

---

Sun To Me

5:34 AM, I was about to start my day
But she laid there across me, so I stayed anyway
Arms tied, legs numb, her wrapped around my knee
Sweetest of the sunflowers, how, you're the sun to me

I don't recall what you were wearing on the first night we met
Besides the subtle cloud around you from my last cigarette
And you come from a good place with a happy family
The only bad you've done was see the good in me

'Cause I've been living, waiting on the day
That the good Lord, willing sends you out my way
I've seen hard times, bad luck, all that in between
Sweetest of the sunflowers, how, you're the sun to me

And I remember being younger and my mother told me true
Find someone who grows flowers in the darkest parts of you
Take heed when things get hard and don't you ever turn around
'Cause you'll find someone, someday, somewhere that grows you to the clouds

And you walked me home that evening when I could barely walk
And you spoke to me so sweetly on the days I couldn't talk
And now I'm seeing clearly and I'm growing up so free
Sweetest of the sunflowers, how, you're the sun to me

'Cause I've been living, waiting on the day
That the good Lord, willing sends you out my way
I've seen hard times, bad luck, all that in between
Sweetest of the sunflowers, how, you're the sun to me
Sweetest of the sunflowers, how, you're the sun to me

---

Highway Boys

Highway boys on the road tonight
Got a gig out at the Ryman
Finally learned the hard way that
All good things take time, friend

I heard they'll pay a lost soul
Sing his songs true
That make a southern boy cry or
Turn a northeast man confused

And I awoke with a fever
Sweating oceans again
There's mirrors in hotel rooms
But I do not recognize them
Maybe it's the feelin' that I get in my sleep
That all the memories in my mind
Are only mine to keep

I wanna ride that K-10 to way back when
Sleep next to the river, hear it rushin' again
Get my no good soul back to where it belongs
And do my best to keep truth in songs
And do my best to keep truth in songs

And all of my old friends miss having me around, but
Highways work both ways
And I can't stand the liars in town
If you need me you can find me
Slightly out of control
'Cause Highway boys don't rest
And don't hang hats 'til they're home

Highway boys on the road tonight
Got a gig out at the Ryman
They finally found out the hard way
That this sound I got is mine, man

So, if you need me call
If you're in love, fall
Just know that highway boys
Don't stick around at all

I wanna ride that K-10 to way back when
Sleep next to the river, hear it rushin' again
Get my no good soul back to where it belongs
And do my best to keep truth in songs
And do my best to keep truth in songs

Highway boys on the road tonight
Got a gig out at the Ryman
They finally found out the hard way
That this sound I got is mine, man

---

Whiskey Fever

(I love that one)
(Four, three, one, two, three, four)

Got a whiskey drinking fever that I can't not shake
And those girls downtown are more than I can take
High waisted Rockies and their sailor's mouths
And the boys in the back of the bar screamin' loud
Oh, whiskey river, take me home

And I smell like cologne and cigarettes
But I ain't found a lady or a bar fight yet
I wait around just to stir shit up
That whiskey river flowing ain't ever enough
Oh, whiskey river, take me home

'Cause I'm a heavy drinking, hard hitting good ol' boy
There ain't a man in this county that can keep me employed
Can't stay sober past 11 AM
My breath smells like my regrets again
Oh, whiskey river, take me home

I had a woman in Wisconsin, and a woman in Maine
But they told me that they'd never love a man so insane
I head to Oklahoma with the flash in a comb
Do my best to find another place I can roam
Oh, whiskey river, take me home

There was no one in town that would give me a ride
So I waited for my heavy drunkenness to subside
Stole a pick-up truck from a gas station pump
I pray to the Lord for a run of good luck
Oh, whiskey river, take me home

(Yeah, come on)

And I was four hundred miles down Highway 10
All of a sudden I was arrested again
They told me eight years in the county pen
Or eight years in the army killing evil men
Oh, whiskey river, take me home

Now there's sand in my boots, sand in my eyes
Sand everywhere that sand can hide
How I miss those downtown girls
And that whiskey river that ruined my world
Oh, Uncle Sam, I wanna go home

I had a whiskey drinking fever that I could not shake
And those girls downtown were more than I could take
Their high waisted Rockies and their sailor's mouth
Boys in the back of the bar screaming loud
Oh, whiskey river, take me home

Oh, whiskey river, I wanna go home

---

Billy Stay

Billy won't you stay, we've been up all night
Talking 'bout flowers from '65
That print on that dress that you always liked
We were young enough to go out and dance at night

We'd cross the street and you'd hold my hand
Same man now that you were back then
Young kids good for nothing but high hoping
Broken, starving plastic ring
Perfect for eloping

Years went by fast, you were so good to me
Our children have children, Billy, how could it be
But ninety years is nothing to some kids like us
So baby, stick around and tell a story just because

Billy stay a while
Lately, you've been slipping in and out
Billy stay a child
Tell me 'bout that girl you dreamed about
Billy stay a while
Tell me of the lovers who once were
And Billy stay a child
Tell me 'bout that girl and how you loved her

Billy don't forget, won't you keep on tryin'
I'll keep my ears open to keep from crying
You're more handsome now than you were back then
And I'm the same girl you fell for when we were kids

If love was enough then you'd stay forever
But I guess sometimes that the end is better
'Cause love turns to loss as the time goes by
You don't know your own name but you know mine

Billy stay a while
Lately you've been slipping in and out
Billy stay a child
Tell me 'bout that girl you dreamed about
Billy stay a while
Tell me of the lovers who once were
Billy stay a child
Tell me 'bout that girl and how you loved her

And you went back home in your sleep last night
And I heard you whisper, "I love you, goodbye"
But maybe your Heaven's 1965
With my hair in your face on a long summer drive
To me you'll never be the times you forgot
But all of our good times and flowers the you bought

---

Sober Side of Sorry

(One, two, three)

Dark haired girl, too much Jack Daniels
I'll be honest right now, I'm too drunk to handle
Dark brown eyes, and a neck tattoo
I am next to you but I'm a thousand miles away
Wildflowers picked on a hillside, you just let die
That's where I learned decay
People come, then they stay then they go
Someone please let me know, when growing up grew so old

'Cause the sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to be
There's a cigarette rolling through the tips of clenched teeth
I don't need much just somewhere to sleep
Someone please remind me who the hell I used to be
The sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to sleep
The sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to be

Dark haired girl, summer time crop top
And her '89 drop top, rolling eyes at me
Is it love? Is it lust? Or leaving?
Am I awake or dreaming?
The woman I need
Wildflowers and a neck tattoo
I am next to you and I ain't ever gonna stay
I remember a time I was sober but those days are over
I need a beer to celebrate

'Cause the sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to be
There's a cigarette rolling through the tips of clenched teeth
I don't need much just somewhere to sleep
Someone please remind me who the hell I used to be
The sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to sleep
The sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to be

'Cause the sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to sleep
There's a cigarette rolling through the tips of clenched teeth
I don't need much just somewhere to sleep
Someone please remind me who the hell I used to be
The sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to sleep
The sober side of sorry ain't a safe place to be

(Ah, everything I had, that was everything I had)

---

High Beams

I got too high on the couch last Sunday, she said it was fine
"You worked hard all week and deserve you a little time"
And this one, she don't want money, no she wants the stars
So tonight I'm taking her out and we're getting ours

So come on, get in baby, won't you try me?
I've got your favorite song mixing with the high beams
If we don't go right now, we'll never know
So come on, get in, let's see how far this goes

You'll burn down this city with a classy little smile
But I swear I like you better when you're dancing under lights in the hall
You're as kind as the morning, giving all things light
And there's some high beams mixing with your favorite song driving tonight

So come on, get in baby, won't you try me?
I've got your favorite song mixing with the high beams
If we don't leave right now, we'll never know
So come on, get in, let's see how far this goes

I got too high on the couch last Sunday, she said it was fine
"You worked hard all week and deserve you a little time"

So come on, get in baby, won't you try me?
I've got your favorite song mixing with the high beams
If we don't leave right now, we'll never know
So come on, get in, let's see how far this goes

---

The Good I'll Do

Well, in you
The good I'll do
The good I'll do, oh
The good I'll do

The way the grass smells at night
And you've got flames all in your eyes
As they reflect the sparkler
And you say we'll never die
Grab me by the hands
Just as callused as I am
Say your proud

Well, there's blue jeans in the driveway
And you're walking inside sideways
The wine always affects you in beautiful kind ways
Ask me if I'm staying and I say that I'm sleeping on the floor

Won't you tell me that you need me
'Cause lately I've been needing someone to remind me
I'm worth more than just an evening
I awoke to kitchen smoke, you dancin' like God's moved in you before

Well, in you
The good I'll do
The good I'll do, oh
The good I'll do

Well, in you
I'm new
I'm new
Oh, how I'm new

Well, look in my eyes, I don't wanna to hide
I've been waiting for you all damn night
Sundress, I'll undress with nails on your skin, turning white

Getting high out in Austin
Drunk in Tennessee
I don't care where I am
As long as you're with me
Those boys downtown talk so much shit when I leave

Well, in you
The good I'll do
The good I'll do, oh
The good I'll do

'Cause in you
I'm new
I'm new
Oh, how I'm new

The way the grass smells at night
And you've got flames all in your eyes
As they reflect the sparkler
And you say we'll never die
Grabbed me by the hands
Just as callused as I am
And say your proud

---

Someday (Maggie's)

Someday, I'll make it there, I swear
To that place that haunts my dreams at night
Singing heavenly highway hymns all the way up
To that beautiful old countryside

Someday, I'll find the words to explain
All the good times that echo through my mind
Your grin in the mornings, a warm southern sun
Or seeing double when those chemicals align
Just some kids who needed love, using laughter as their drug
Doing their best to tow that hard line

Someday, I will lie under blue skies
In a hay field that holds me like home
But I'll ask forgiveness with God as my witness
For straying so far on my own

Today, I'll hold my head up high
Knowing someday, comes one day at a time
Today, there's a sun setting soon as suppers warm
Today, I've got someday on my mind

Someday, I'll call up my old friends
And we'll catch up with too many beers
Pull an all nighter, sitting around fire
For the first time in so many years

Someday

Someday, I will come to my senses
Stop sitting on fences in fear
And I will realize after all of this time
That some day was always just right here

Today, I'll hold my head up high
Knowing some day has been here the whole damn time
There's a sun set setting, I ain't forgetting
The blood that made my heart warm
Today, I found what I was searching for

Someday, I will send you a postcard
From the place that I'm smiling tonight
I sang heavenly highway hymns all the way up
To this beautiful warm country side

---

Poems and Closing Time

I've been overdrinking
'Cause I've been overthinking
'Cause I get so damn anxious at night
Chemicals and nicotine
Friends ask how you've been
You just learn to say you're alright

Poems and closing time
Oh, sweet love of mine
I found it so hard to find truth
Poems and closing time
Oh, sweet love of mine
It'll always just be me and you

And those bastards get richer
While the poor dig ditches
To bury their dreaming in
And labor done cheap
At five AM
Is the reason they're sleeping in

Oh, men build churches
So their kids find worth in
Something bigger than themselves
But the uncorruptible
Don't exist
And you can't buy your way outta Hell

Closing time
I'm lost again past two
Closing time
It'll always just be me and you

Now I've been overdrinking
'Cause I've been overthinking
'Cause I get so damn anxious at night
Chemicals and nicotine
Friends ask me how I've been
You just learn to say you're alright

Poems and closing time
Oh, sweet love of mine
I found it so hard to find truth
Poems and closing time
Only true friend of mine
It'll always just be me and you

So don't try to pay me
And don't try to play me
As one of your sorry fools
Poems and closing time
Oh, sweet love of mine
In a world that's growing so cruel

---

From Austin

There is concrete below me and a sky above so blue
I'm finally leavin' Austin and I wish it was with you
I am just a sickness and you seem to be the cure
How much can a southern girl honestly endure?
Remember northwest mountains, they were snow-capped in June
You were nappin' on my arms on a Sunday afternoon
But babe, I've gotta heal myself from the things I've never felt
Repression is my Heaven but I'd rather go through hell

It's 'bout time that I left Austin, 'bout time you settled down
With a man who doesn't move as quick as trains rollin' through town
'Bout time that I faced the hard times I've let go
Love was just an ocean, I would drown before I float

You remember gettin' drunk on the outskirts of this town
When I gave you all I had but it still let you down?
Everyone I've ever loved has either left or died
Wish I was born with concrete shoes but I'm leavin' tonight

It's 'bout time that I left Austin, 'bout time you settled down
With a man who doesn't move as quick as the trains rollin' through town
'Bout time that I faced the hard times I've let go
Love was just an ocean, I would drown before I float

Float
Float

There's concrete below me and a sky above so blue
People ruin people, I don't wanna ruin you
I am just a sickness and you seem to be the cure
How much can a southern girl honestly endure?

And I'm finally gone from Austin, you finally settled down
With a man who didn't move as quick as the trains that rolled through town
I've finally had to face the hard times I've let go
If lovin' you was an ocean, I'd have drowned so you could float

---

If She Wants A Cowboy

(It's perfect)
(One, two, three, four)

(Man, I got a song for y'all)
(Interesting, actual writing)
(Something y'all ain't never heard of)

She wants a cowboy, so I just might
Find me some boots that fit me right
Chew some tobacco, ride me a Bronco
On a southern Saturday night
And I ain't never rode a horse
Or worn a cowboy hat
But I'll find me one that fits my head
And she won't know any of that

I keep walking this town
Tryna' get me some advice
But all the ranch hands around
Keep on sayin' they wanna fight
And I'll learned to two step so I can spin her
Off her pretty little country feet
If she wants a cowboy then I'll be as cowboy
As a cowboy can be

Find me a horse that I can cover
Find me some stars to sleep under
Find me a train, I'll hop out west
If she wants a cowboy, I'll cowboy the best

She wanted a cowboy so I went off
And rode me a horse about every day
Got pretty good at ranching and riding
But she didn't care anyway
Champion buckles, and champion spurs
I got everything but her
Now I'm a cowboy and she wants Nashville
What the hell was all this worth

Find me a horse that I can cover
Find me some stars to sleep under
Find me a train, I'll hop out west
If she wants Nashville, I'll Nashville the best

(One more)
(Man, I never heard a song this good)

So find me a horse that I can cover
Find me some stars to sleep under
Find me a train, I'll hop out west
If she wants a cowboy, I'll cowboy the best

(Alright boys, I'm leaving for the day, take it easy)
(That was mine, that was it)
(Throw 'er on the damn radio)

---

Corinthians (Proctor's)

Jet trails cut across a Winter County sky
That's why I recon Sunday is a good day to die
There's a beautiful black gale and then he's waiting there for me
Pissed off and raising neck hairs and shooting number three

Last night they were pulling pints of pesky Pendleton
Snuck away from the fire, slept there with the grass and wind
I looked up at Heaven, saw how small I really was
I wanna build a house and burn it down just because

And you're smirking like an asshole
With a cheek full of tobacco
In the back of some Bronco
In a town you've never been

Nothing fun happens after you turn twenty-five
If I make it out at all, I pray you're right here by my side
And if I'm going down then I'm going down true
If I've got anyone to thank, then It'll always be you

What the hell am I doing?
Who the hell am I?
How I'll miss the scripture
Oh, Sunday's the day to die

And granddad sure was punchy
But loved Jesus to his core
I wanna die today, so I can learn to live for more

Nothing fun happens after you turn twenty-five
If I make it out at all, I pray you're right here by my side
And if I'm going down then I'm going down true
If I've got anyone to thank, then It'll only be you
If I've got anyone to thank, then It'll always be you

Well, jet trails cut across a Winter County sky
That's why I recon Sunday is a good day to die

(Alright)
(Alright)
(Alright, boys)

---

Open the Gate

Well, I heard you died out in Cheyenne
With my mother's ring on your hand
A note in your pocket
Said, "I'll love you 'til I die"
I can hear the bulls a coming
To claim what they've been huntin'
The son of a cowboy
Came to claim his daddy's right

And my baby, she's been crying
At the thought of me dying
She knows there's no stopping
A man and his foolish pride

So open the gates
I'm here to prove
I'm better than my father was
And where he came from too
Open the gates
I'm here to ride
To Hell I Go
With daddy by my side

And I ain't never feared nothing
That was four legged and bucking
Throw me on a hurricane
And I'll ride it to the coast
You'll never know that your son
Came to do what you should've done
On a summer day a long time ago
Top a bull named To Hell I Go

So open the gates
I'm here to prove
I'm better than my father was
And where he came from too
Open the gates
I'm here to ride
To Hell I Go
With daddy by my side

Well, I died out in Cheyenne
With my baby there crying
And a belly that's been growin'
By the day
And I know that my son
Will do what his father should've done
A long, long time ago
On a bull named To Hell I Go

So open the gates
He's here to prove
He's better than his father was
And where he came from too
Open the gates
He's here to ride
To Hell I Go's calf
With daddy by his side

---

Half Grown

When I grab me by the hand, you hesitate
With the subtle inclination to tell a man straight
Your sister was a savior and your mother is a saint
Sometimes a woman is the sum of all the things her father ain't

And men are just the sum of all the things their mothers did
They'll spend their lives searching for the love they had as kids
My vices ain't a place to replace a loving home
You can't expect a harvest where the field's half grown

You can't chose your blood
But you can choose to change the chains
That chain you down when you was just a child
And forgiveness ain't an easy road to go
But I know that it's a road worth heading down

When I see myself, I see your eyes
Reflections nowadays are a calm surprise
The older I get, the more I become
All the things I swore I'd always run from
But I'll raise myself a family and right the wrong
Of some imperfect people who were only half grown

'Cause you can't chose your blood
But you can choose to change the chains
That chain you down when you was just a child
And forgiveness ain't an easy road to go
But I know that it's a road worth going down

When I grab me by the hand, you hesitate
With the subtle inclination to tell a man straight
Your sister was a savior and your mother is a saint
Sometimes a woman is the sum of all the things her father ain't

---

No Cure

(One, two, one, two, three, four)

Lonely, lonely troubadour, I know that you've been here before
But there ain't no cure for a restless man
If you came to run from your bad reputation
Of sleeping wherever you land
What state you in tonight and did you get into a fight?
Are you more drunk than you were last week?
When I call you on the phone, you are never alone
And your jaws don't close when you speak

She said, "Run down the road, go where you need to go
But I need you to understand"
There ain't no home and there is no cure
For a no good rambling man

Lonely, lonely troubadour, you ain't the boy you were before
This world has truly thickened your skin
'Cause everyone you talk to acts like they walked through
Hell with you way back when
Who are you to say I can't live this way?
I was born to be a man of the night
Twelve foot tall and I'm living proof
That highway boys don't die

She said, "Run down the road, go where you need to go
But I need you to understand"
There ain't no home and there is no cure
For a no good rambling man

She said, "Run down the road, go where you need to go
But I need you to understand"
There ain't no home and there is no cure
For a no good rambling man

---

'68 Fastback

Take my soul, take my heart
Tear me apart
If I'm good for anything
It's all of this suffering
So use me for parts

To you I'm just salvage
I ain't ran right in years
So drive me then gut me
Deceive and f*ck me
Then disappear

Well, take all my jokes
And tell them to them
And act like you're someone
That could be someone
Worth loving

And steal all the good parts
You found in me
Yeah, you'll sell 'em quick
Yeah, you'll sell 'em cheap
Hey, you'll give 'em for free

But I cleaned all my pistons
I'm running on 91
And I'm piecing myself
Back off the shelf
One by one

And now I've got a driver
Who chooses the high road
They don't use me for scraps
Or throw my ass back
When I hit potholes

And I'm flying down freeways
Going 117
And a '68 Fastback
Looks like a hatchback
Racing me

I, I believe
That you cannot tear down
What's built up strong now
Thankfully

Oh, I believe
That you cannot teardown
What's built up strong now
Thankfully

And I'm flying down freeways
Going 117
And a '68 Fastback
Looks like a hatchback
Next to me

---

Blue

Break me down and beat me blue
There ain't a beauty on the planet coming close to you
In the harsh heat of summer or a cool crisp fall
I'd rather be ruined by you than be loved at all

Well, my trash talking, jaywalking, Levi jean queen
I've been everywhere, I swear, and you're the finest I've seen

Break me down and beat me blue
There ain't a kindness on the planet that compares to you
In the dark of the night or the light of day
I'll long for you tomorrow as I did today

Well my day dreaming, people pleasing, bright on dark days girl
I fell hard and I've loved wide, and you're the rarest in the world

Well, I've been known to chase endless dreams
But in my dreams it seems I'm only chasing you
And break me, beat me, tear me down
And drag my ass all over town
I'll whisper you these sonnets 'til I'm blue
Oh, I'll whisper you these sonnets 'til I'm blue

Break me down and beat me blue
There ain't a heaven on the planet that saves me like you
The Hallelujah's old 'til you're gone for miles
A grown ass man grinning like a child

High on the mountain or the valley low
Only thing that heals my blues no matter where I go

---

Waterwell

You in the morning time
Reminds me of the summer time
And any time that ain't right now
Seems to be a waste of time
The way the grass fills hills with the holler
And the sun gives in to the cresting moon
Well I'm giving in tomorrow
Making love in the afternoon

When you go down hard
Will you come up swinging?
I f*cking hate love
But I love you in the evenings
I swore you'd be here
When I finally woke
I love you in the evenings
But I f*cking hate high hopes

You in the morning time
Remind me of a simpler time
Cutting grass for cash and gasoline
To prove I'm worth your touch and time
The way a woman's hands are more fair
To a wise man's worn out ways
The way I figured out I was worthless
When I lost a love that should've stayed

Cause when you go down hard
You come up swinging
I f*cking hate love
But I love you in the evenings
I swore you'd be here
When I finally woke
I love you in the evenings
But I f*cking hate high hopes

You in the morning time
Reminds me that each day is mine
To be grateful for the rising sun
Sneaking through the window blinds
The way you tell me its alright
The past has past
And right now's arrived

You in the morning time
Makes me glad I'm still alive

---

This Road I Know

This is a poem I wrote called This road I Know

There's this flash I get often, a fever dream or a vision of sorts
Most times late at night
And I haven't found out why, but I know exactly why
I'm on this road and I hear gravel underneath me and I feel it too
And I don't know where I am, but I know exactly where I am
Its dark, It's really dark
And the car is warm but somehow I can feel how cold the night is
I don't know where the road leads but I know exactly where it ends
You see I keep driving
And all I see for the longest while is my headlights, for an eternity it seems
And everything is desolate and empty and nothing and hopeless
I'm lost but I know where I'm going
I'm safe, I'm warm, I'm driving
And I see this small light
A dim one, growing brighter and bigger and closer and stronger
And the closer I get the more I see
I make out a house with light strewn across it, a porch, and cars
Some frosted windshields that haven't been touched for hours
I hear a song, and it's faint, I can't make out the name but I know every word
I feel my feet first, and it's cold and there crunching, and its the sound of driveways
And the wind takes my breath with it
Then I walk up to this door and knock, even though I feel like I don't have to
And I don't know where I am but I know exactly where I am
And this crack of light widens on this porch underneath me as this door opens
And this brown haired girl with the brightest smile
I don't know who she is but I know her so well
And behind her the warmest home I'd ever seen
Its orange and comfortable, There's fire and it's bulb lit
She says "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you all night, we've missed you"
She says through the kindest smirk I've seen in so long
Then she tapers off the sentence with the peaceful sound that a lady makes
She grabs me on the forearms and pulls softly into the dining room
And there's people and they're happy and content for one
I don't know who they are but I know exactly who they are
And we're all standing and I'm laughing at a joke I'll never hear again
I don't know where I am but I know exactly where I am
And then she tucks her head between my collar as a friend
Between my collar and my jaw and there's no weight at all
And I don't know where I am but there's no weight at all
It's laughter and greens and no tomorrow to win
And I don't know where I am but I know exactly where I am
I don't know where I am but I know exactly where I am