Highway 64

Hey, just stop a second—and please don’t shout. You really gonna leave and walk right out? Don’t tell me we’re through, don’t say we’re done, like it means nothin’ to you. You know I gave you all my time, loved you like rhythm, loved you like rhyme. Now you’re ghostin’ me with no goodbye, but look me in the eyes—just try.

After you’re gone and I’m still cryin’ After you’re gone—yeah, no denyin’ You’ll feel low, you’ll feel the sting. You’ll miss the realest love you’ve ever seen. There’ll come a day—don’t even doubt it. You’ll wake alone and think about it. When you’re cold, when you’re lonely. You’ll wish you still had me, and me only. After you’re gone… after you’re gone away.

After you’re gone, and I’m not callin’ After you’re gone, and you feel that fallin’ You’ll be stuck in days gone by. Wonderin’ why you left it all behind. You’ll say “damn”—yeah, you’ll admit it. You'll feel the hole where I once fit it. And baby, let me be clear: I’ll be the voice in your head that you still hear. I’ll haunt you slow, I’ll taunt you deep. I’ll show up in your dreams and your lack of sleep. It’ll hit hard, it won’t fade. That’s the cost of the love you betrayed.

After you’re gone, and I’m not callin’ After you’re gone, and you feel that fallin’ You’ll be stuck in days gone by. Wonderin’ why you left it all behind. You’ll say “damn”—yeah, you’ll admit it. You'll feel the hole where I once fit it. And baby, let me be clear: I’ll be the voice in your head that you still hear. I’ll haunt you slow, I’ll taunt you deep. I’ll show up in your dreams and your lack of sleep. It’ll hit hard, it won’t fade. That’s the cost of the love that you betrayed. After you’re gone… After you’re gone…

Song Writer Notes:

This song was written in 2025 and is a heartfelt, slightly defiant breakup song. The singer is confronting someone who is leaving them—pleading at first, hurt and confused—but then shifts to a bittersweet confidence. They warn that after the person is gone, they’ll come to regret it. it’s about the lingering impact of a deep love after a breakup—how the person walking away will eventually feel the emptiness and long for what they left behind. It mixes sorrow, pride, and a touch of poetic revenge: being the haunting voice in the other person’s head. It was inspired by the 1918 Jazz tune by Henry Creamer "After You've Gone"

I rolled out screaming in ‘64. Just a cry in the wind and an open door. The road stretched wide through a world brand new. With no rearview mirror and nothing to prove. Young and fast, no seatbelt on. Chased every sunrise til it was gone. Left a heart in the dust and I didn’t look back. Just another mile on a one-way track.

And time don’t ask if you’re ready to fly. It just lifts you up and leaves you high. One day you're strong, the next you're sore. Wonderin' what all the work was for. From the back of my mind to the front porch door. I’ve been rolling down life since '64.

I hitched to a dream in my twenty-first year. Worked my hands raw, to stay in the clear. Found love like a compass that steadied the wheel. Built a life out of hope and a nerve of steel. Kids came along like sparks in the night. Lit up the dark with a softer light. Every sacrifice was a toll I paid. To keep ‘em safe on the roads I paved.

And time don’t ask if you’re ready to fly. It just lifts you up and leaves you high. One day you're strong, the next you're sore. Wonderin' what all the work was for. From the back of my mind to the front porch door. I’ve been rolling down life since '64.

Now the road runs quieter, the traffic's thin. The map is wrinkled where the past has been. But the engine still hums with a steady grace. As I chase one more sunset in this worn-out place. I’ve got gravel in my soul and dust in my smile. And I’d do it all again, every lonely mile. From the start to the end, from the first open door. I’ve been rolling down life since '64.

And time don’t ask if you’re ready to fly. It just lifts you up and leaves you high. One day you're strong, the next you're sore. Wonderin' what all the work was for. From the back of my mind to the front porch door. I’ve been rolling down life since '64.

Song Writer Notes:

This song was also written in 2025. "Highway 64" is a reflective journey about life, using the metaphor of a long, open road that began in 1964, the birth year of a dear mentor to the band. It traces a path from youthful recklessness—speeding down highways with no seatbelt and no worries—to chasing dreams in early adulthood, where hard work and grit laid the foundation for a meaningful life. We wanted the song to capture how quickly life flies by—one moment strong and fearless, the next aching and contemplative, questioning what all the effort was for. In the end, it’s a wistful but grateful look back on the miles traveled since ’64, embracing every lonely stretch and joyful spark as part of a road well worth driving.

At this motel all day long. Missin’ you since you’ve been gone. I don’t know why you left me hurt. Guess in the end it didn’t work.

I’ve been here with the curtains drawn. Radio hummin’ old sad songs. Coffee’s cold beside my bed. Thoughts of you still fill my head.

Drink’n Whiskey from a paper cup. Tryin’ to drown what I blew up. One more shot, one more mistake. One more heart I didn’t want to break. Don’t know why I make my life so tough, Now I’m drink’n whiskey from a paper cup.

I dig through words I can’t unsay. Wishin’ the night would fade away. The worst I it seems ain’t over yet, Still payin’ dues for my regret.

I’m drink’n Whiskey from a paper cup. Tryin’ to drown what I blew up. One more shot, one more mistake. One more heart I didn’t want to break. Don’t know why I make my life so tough, Now I’m drink’n whiskey from a paper cup.

I could leave and hit the road. Find a town where no one knows. But I’d bring this hurt along. There’s no out runnin’ what I’ve done.

Drink’n Whiskey from a paper cup. Tryin’ to drown what I blew up. One more shot, one more mistake. One more heart I didn’t want to break. Don’t know why I make my life so tough, Now I’m drink’n whiskey in a paper cup. Drink’n Whiskey from a paper cup. Tryin’ to drown what I fucked up. One more shot, one more mistake. One more heart I didn’t want to break. Don’t know why I make my life so tough, I’m drink’n whiskey in a paper cup.

Song Writer Notes:

This song was also written early in 2025, but I've had the concept in my notebook for years. We used to go visit my parents in Indiana (which sometimes can be a tough thing to do. Once you leave home, it's hard to go back.) I'd pick up a bottle of scotch on the way back to the hotel room to take the edge off. Usually the only thing available was a paper cup. It never seems right to me to drink good scotch in anything other than a nice glass, but sometimes you do what you need to do. We changed the setting of the song to lost love, but if you ever drank whiskey from a paper cup, you get it.

I’ve walked through shadows chasing light. Fought my battles, wrong and right. Held my tongue, swallowed my pride. Let my laughter turn the tide. I’ve stood in rooms that felt so cold. Written stories, I never told. Dreams like paintings in my mind. Colors blurred by tears and time.

You don’t see… what I can see. You don’t dream… what I can dream. I’ve been broken and I’ve been whole. And love still burns inside my soul. You don’t see what I can see. You don’t dream what I can dream. I’ve been broken, I’ve been strong. Wounded hearts that carry on.

I’ve danced alone beneath the stars. Counted every hidden scar. Built my castles out of sand. Watched them slip right through my hand. They say it’s hard to recognize. The truth that’s shining in our eyes. So I’ll keep whispering my song. Hoping someone sings along.

You don’t see… what I can see. You don’t dream… what I can dream. I’ve been broken and I’ve been whole. And love still burns inside my soul. You don’t see what I can see. You don’t dream what I can dream. I’ve been broken, I’ve been strong. Wounded hearts that carry on.

Maybe someday you will see. All the hidden parts of me. Maybe someday you will know. All the places my heart goes.

You don’t see… what I can see. You don’t dream… what I can dream. I’ve been broken and I’ve been whole. And love still burns inside my soul. You don’t see what I can see. You don’t dream what I can dream. I’ve been broken, I’ve been strong. Wounded hearts that carry on.

Song Writer Notes:

Rule number 9: The Buddha said "Put no mind before your own." This song was also written early in 2025, but rule nine has been in effect for at least ten years, and the Buddha said those words millennia ago. The basic idea is that everyone's perspective, life, dreams are unique to them. With that said, it's also true that some perceive more than others. Some seem to perceive everything, and some very little. So regardless of where you are on the continuum, what you see is unique to you.

They said I love you and I don’t know what to do. Have all these feelings and they’re strong but all brand new. Don’t want to hurt them but I don’t know what is true. They said I love you and I don’t know what to do.

And I have all these feelings inside. It’s all confusing so I take it all in stride. Don’t want to hide I want to stand in plain view. They said I love you and I don’t know what to do.

My thoughts are chaos, bouncing all around the room. Love’s moving quickly, and it all feels just too soon. They left in anger and I heard them slam the door. They said I love you and I don’t know what’s in store.

And I have all these feelings inside. It’s all confusing so I take it all in stride. Don’t want to hide I want to stand in plain view. They said I love you and I don’t know what to do.

I want to speak but I don’t know the words. I ’m scared of silence and afraid to be heard. If love’s a question, am I part of the clue? They said I love you… and maybe I do too.

I’m at a crossroads and my bones can feel the chill. Is this my destiny or just my own free will. Why does the world always make it win or lose. They said I love you and I don’t know what to choose.

And I have all these feelings inside. It’s all confusing so I take it all in stride. Don’t want to hide I want to love in plain view. They said I love you and I don’t know what to do. And I have all these feelings inside. It’s all confusing so I take it all in stride. Don’t want to hide I want to love in plain view. They said I love you and maybe now I do.

Song Writer Notes:

This song was written just after Covid. I'd been watching Sex Education on Netflix and there was this interaction between Jackson and Cal. Cal used they pronouns, Jackson was the classic athlete but very interested in Cal. I thought what would most people do in a situation that was untraditional but also very inviting? They Said tries to capture some possible emotions in such a situation. I was actually sitting in line at a CVS to get a Covid test before traveling internationally and the words just started coming. I wrote them down, and here they are.

All these moments, do you think we’ll finally find some peace? It’s all so broken, when will all this senseless violence cease? How much longer can we shed the blood that we no longer have? All this time and it’s hard to tell the good days from the bad.

All these changes, Rearranging my world I’m contemplating Was it really for the good?.

I’m searching now—for faces that I know I’ll never find. Their names are echoes—haunting every corner of my mind. What’s the future for the ones we left behind? One step closer—and I’m standing at the edge of humankind.

All these changes, Rearranging my world I’m contemplating Have we done everything we could?.

One last journey—to the place where we know it all began. How will I get there, if no one will reach out and take my hand? Desperation—like I’ve never felt before. Another ending—do we even know what we were fighting for?

All these changes, Rearranging my world I’m contemplating Have we ever understood? All these changes, Rearranging my world I’m contemplating Have we ever understood?.

Song Writer Notes:

I wrote this song several years ago about the war in Afghanistan. For those of us who served in the military and had friends go to war, and not return. Or return, then later take their own life, they are "faces we know we'll never find." During the final exit, the images of people reaching up at the airport wall, but no one would take their hand. Those left behind. There is lots of imagery in this song. It is not a protest song, but it is reflective, and asks the question "what was it all for?".

When I wake up in the morning, and the sun shines on my face. I feel the promise of the journey. as I leave without a trace. On a dusty road.

And the road, lies before me, like a lover I have known. Twisting, turning, leading onward, and then bringing me back home. On a dusty road.

All of the places I’ve seen and known. Pulling me forward, calling me home. Leading me back where my heart once roamed. On a dusty road.

As I look in the distance, and the road begins to bend. I recall the sound of laughter, from the voices of old friends. On a dusty road.

Time’s the only traveler who's always by my side. Always waiting, ever watching, through the shifting morning light. On a dusty road.

All of the places I’ve seen and known. Pulling me forward, calling me home. Leading me back where my heart once roamed. On a dusty road.

And my home, lies now before me, like a beacon in the night. I look forward to arriving, to hold you close and tight. On a dusty road.

All of the places I’ve seen and known. Pulling me forward, calling me home. Leading me back where my heart once roamed. On a dusty road.

Song Writer Notes:

This was one of the first songs I wrote several years ago. My uncle lived on on a dirt road in rural south eastern Arkansas. Growing up every summer vacation consisted of a 15 hour road trip from Indiana to Arkansas to visit relatives. There were two highlights every year, fishing, and my uncles farm. We were always welcome there and even though he was working hard, there was always time to "go to town for a coke." You could always see someone coming up the road from the dust cloud behind every vehicle. Fond memories.

Well the world is broken or so it seems to me. The grass is blue and the sky is green And I’ve seen things that beat all I’ve seen. I need to find….a piece of my mind.

Been looking left and looking right Up and down and day and night. I can’t seem to get it right. I need to find… a piece of my mind.

The gurus say to look within. I’ve been there and back again. All that search’n wears me thin. I need to find… a piece of my mind.

A stormy sky, a heavy cloud, Should I hold it in or scream out loud? The world feels wrapped up in a shroud— I need to find… a piece of my mind.

I need to find…. A piece of my mind. Maybe peace is just a breath away, Or buried in the words I say. I chase the light but lose the trail, Each time I think I’ve set the sail… I need to find...Peace of mind! I need to find...Peace of mind! I need to find...Peace of mind!

Song Writer Notes:

I wrote this song during the pandemic when the world just seemed broken, upside down, and out of sorts. We had a friend we called "Captain Literal." He didn't get innuendo, or allegory. Everything was literally how he saw it. I wondered how someone like that could find peace of mind if they misunderstood "peace" for "piece" and the song took off from there.

Working all day, try’n to make a living. Everybody’s taking, nobody’s giving. I think I need to get out of this place. I’m just another rat in the race.

The left is mean and the right is meaner. I’m stuck in the middle, just an inbetweener. Wish they’d all get out of my face. I’m just another rat in the race.

Nobody cares where I come from. No one knows what I have done. Running double time to just keep pace. I’m just another rat in the race.

Life is hard and getting harder. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. All the billionaires are going to space. While I’m just another rat in the race.

Nobody cares where I come from. No one knows what I have done. Running double time to just keep pace. I’m just another rat in the race.

Holding on with both hands tight. I work all day and cry all night. No one wipes the tears from my face. I’m just another rat in the race.

Nobody cares where I come from. No one knows what I have done. Running double time to just keep pace. I’m just another rat in the race.

Dreams don’t pay the rent around here. Hope’s just another word for fear. But maybe one day I’ll find my place. And break free from this endless rat race.

Nobody cares where I come from. No one knows what I have done. Running double time to just keep pace. I’m just another rat in the race. Yeahhh Yeah I’m just another rat in the race. Just another lost soul in this place.

Song Writer Notes:

I worked in the corporate world for years. On one business trip to Denver I came out of the hotel and there must have been 4 or five of us, all in our khakis and golf shirts, with our laptop backpacks, going to our Chevy Malibu rental cars...the image stuck with me as I realized in the moment that I was clearly just another rat in the race. I tried to capture that feeling along with more recent events that seem to tell the centuries old tale, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

There’s a rumbling in the distance, On a dark and stormy night. I can see the lightning flashing, I can smell the rain in flight. But I know that what I'm searching for, Can make it all seem right. I’m searching for some meaning, On a dark and stormy night.

This storm will pass us by. If we hold on to our love tight. We can find a silver lining In the storm clouds of our life.

The day began so peaceful, Full of calm and full of light. There was love in abundance, And the world just felt so right. But the clouds began to gather, And the warmth began to chill. And our words took on new meaning, As the air grew calm and still.

This storm will pass us by. If we hold on to our love tight. We can find a silver lining In the storm clouds of our life.

The storm broke with a vengeance, And your words still haunt my mind. But our love became our shelter, From the rain and from the night. If we make our peace, embrace our love, And hold each other tight. We’ll find there’s deeper meaning, In a dark and stormy night.

This storm will pass us by. If we hold on to our love tight. We can find a silver lining In the storm clouds of our life.

The dawn begins to break. And our love begins to warm. We’ve found a way to ride out, Yet another tempest storm. For darkness holds no power, In the presence of the light. And we have found each other, On a dark and stormy night.

This storm will pass us by. If we hold on to our love tight. We can find a silver lining In the storm clouds of our life. This storm will pass us by. If we hold on to our love tight. We will find a silver lining In the storm clouds of our life. Yes, we will find a silver lining In the storm clouds of our life.

Song Writer Notes:

This song is about anyone who's ever been in a relationship and had a fight. I mean a really good one, where you can see the coulds building, and then all hell breaks loose. Words like "dear" don't mean what they did a few hours ago. But if you can get through such a storm, and can find peace and reconciliation, there can be a silver lining.