[guitar intro] Country nights, Lilli's got the wheel, two-lane blacktop, a load in back, and a chain that drags the seam. Old pickup, primer spots, trim gone dull on the grille, it wheezes when she starts it up, but it gets there all the same. [solo] “Easy now.” I say it from the passenger seat, hand on the cracked vinyl. Lilli hooks the ’68 Chevy, cinches the strap till it sings. She grins, all grit and gum, fingers drumming on the wheel, like she knows every bend by name. She bumps the mirror with two knuckles, then slides past the toll gate like she’s done it her whole life. I watch the fence posts streak by and the gravel spray behind us. We’re headed back home while the sky goes dull as an old hubcap. [long solo] Lilli's got the wheel, Lilli's got the wheel, she takes the turns like she's been here a hundred times. Dash lights low, radio coughing up the AM band, I hum along, just enough to keep the line. [man choir] Lilli's got the wheel, yeah, Lilli's got the wheel, crowd in close, boards creaking. Hold that road, let her roll, let the whole rig breathe, clap on two, hear the bottles speaking. Lilli's got the wheel, and we’re backing her up, every voice in the room on the tailgate hook. Four beers in and the garage leans left, keep the load steady when the gears all look shook. [solo] Johnny’s gas stop, 1:47. Paper cup coffee, lid half snapped. Screen door bangs. Lilli taps the dash. Exact change on the counter, one penny still trapped. I catch her in the glass by the lottery rack. [solo] Lilli's got the wheel, Lilli's got the wheel, engine ticking rough, settled in the groove. Cold cola in the cupholder, dust on our boots, grease on the cuff, split knuckles, radio static. Every hard-used road still knows our names. I lean in, let the cold air catch my face. [man choir] Lilli's got the wheel, yeah, Lilli's got the wheel, crew in tight, rafters shake. Hands up, keep time, let the highway talk, all of us calling with the old truck brake. Lilli's got the wheel, we’re singing in stacks, boots on the floor and the beat in our backs. Roll that chorus out, let it ring off the frame, hold her on the hook till the whole shop wakes. [solo] Lilli's got the wheel, Lilli's got the wheel, she takes the turns like she drew the map herself. Dash lights low, radio bleeding through the AM band. [long piano solo] Lilli's got the wheel, Lilli's got the wheel, she takes the turns like she drew the map herself. Dash lights low, radio bleeding through the AM band. [solo] Lilli's got the wheel, Lilli's got the wheel, she takes the turns like she drew the map herself. Dash lights low, radio bleeding through the AM band. I sing under that line, low and clear. [man choir] Lilli's got the wheel, yeah, Lilli's got the wheel, we roll back in loud, shoulder to shoulder, no room to spare. Keep that engine talking, keep that title held, every grin in the garage caught in the air. Lilli's got the wheel, let the harmonies land, thump the bench, let it bounce through the floor. Hold that low note, let the high line bend, push her on home, then sing it once more. [solo] Lilli's got the wheel, Lilli's got the wheel, she takes the turns like she drew the map herself. Dash lights low, radio bleeding through the AM band. [long guitar solo] [outro]
