[Intro — Gentle acoustic guitar, coffee pouring, soft room ambience] [Spoken — Warm, easy] Some folks make your coffee. Some folks make your day. This one’s for Rene. [Verse 1] Another day in Lemoore town, Valley sun coming up, Working hands reach for the door, Somebody needs a coffee cup. Fill the tank and check the time, Got a long day on the way, But there’s a smile behind that counter— Good to see you, Rene. Twelve years of folks passing through, Some move on and some stay, I’ve been coming here that long, You’ve always been that way. Never have to earn your welcome, Never have to dress it up, You treat a person like a neighbor When the rest of life gets rough. [Chorus] That’s the Fast Trip way, Little kindness in a busy day, Coffee for the road, a smile before you go, Something good to take away. When the whole world’s in a hurry, You keep a steady pace. Twelve years of showing up, And kindness never wears away. Here’s to you, Rene— That’s the Fast Trip way. [Verse 2] I’ve seen that counter getting crowded, Seen a hard day coming through, But I’ve never seen you lose your temper With the things you’ve had to do. You keep your voice down even, Keep your feet there on the ground, There’s a kind of quiet leadership In how you calm things down. You’ve seen new faces learning, Seen familiar faces leave, And all those working people With another place to be. They might only stop a minute, Then they’re headed down the line, But you can make that minute better— You’ve been doing it all this time. [Chorus] That’s the Fast Trip way, Little kindness in a busy day, Coffee for the road, a smile before you go, Something good to take away. When the whole world’s in a hurry, You keep a steady pace. Twelve years of showing up, And kindness never wears away. Here’s to you, Rene— That’s the Fast Trip way. [Instrumental — Protected eight-bar turnaround, melodic electric guitar] [Bridge — Conversational, affectionate] Started with Stephanie on Labor Day, Making that fruit rack shine. I said, “Why you working quite so hard?” She said, “That’s how we do,” with pride. Then Desi got her own song, And today I heard them say, “You know who else could use a song?” Well, of course we do—Rene. There’s a whole lot worth singing Right here where we live, And a man can build a good name With the welcome that he gives. [Final Chorus — Full band, gentle female harmony] That’s the Fast Trip way, Little kindness in a busy day, Coffee for the road, a smile before you go, Something good to take away. From the people working early To the ones who’ve worked all day, Here’s a little recognition In our Central Valley way. Twelve years of showing up, And kindness never wears away. Here’s to you, Rene— That’s the Fast Trip way. [Outro — Relaxed, warmly sung] Another day in Lemoore town, Another cup along the way. You’ve made this corner feel like home. Thank you, Rene. [Extended melodic guitar outro — Resolve to a clean final chord]
