Dust Road Code

[Intro – Half Spoken, Gravel Voice] Yeah… West side nights. No signs. No saviors. Just dust… and memories. ⸻ [Verse 1] Been beatin’ the hell outta this old back road, Sunburned hands on a cracked-up wheel. Radio hiss and another long night, Just trying to outrun shit that won’t stay buried. Mama said, “Boy, quit pushin’ so damn hard.” Never listened worth a shit. Around here you learn to make do, Stretch a paycheck and keep your damn mouth shut. ⸻ [Pre-Chorus] Nobody handed us a damn thing. No bright lights. No easy road. If you ain’t lived out here, You don’t know what this place can do to a man. ⸻ [Chorus] This ain’t some dirt road anthem full of fake-ass smiles. It’s dust in your lungs and truth you can’t hide. Windows down, middle finger to bad luck, Still drivin’ through shit that tried to break us. We burn old tires, raise hell, raise kids, Keep showin’ up ‘cause quittin’ ain’t in us. If you hear this truck somewhere after midnight, That’s the dust road code… and we’re still damn alive. ⸻ [Verse 2] Bonfire burnin’, somebody throwin’ punches, Beer cans everywhere, somebody bleedin’ again. We all talked about gettin’ out someday… Funny how most of us never did. Uniform’s hangin’ in the closet now, But it never really leaves your ass. Still hear old names when the house gets quiet, Some nights the memories don’t let you sleep for shit. ⸻ [Pre-Chorus] Don’t give a damn about famous. Don’t need a crown. I just try to take care of my people And leave this place a little better than I found it. ⸻ [Chorus] This ain’t some dirt road anthem full of fake-ass smiles. It’s dust in your lungs and truth you can’t hide. Windows down, middle finger to bad luck, Still drivin’ through shit that tried to break us. We burn old tires, raise hell, raise kids, Keep showin’ up ‘cause quittin’ ain’t in us. If you hear this truck somewhere after midnight, That’s the dust road code… and we’re still damn alive. ⸻ [Bridge – Stripped Down] There ain’t nothin’ glamorous about survivin’. Nobody claps when you drag yourself back up. But if today’s the day I finally go, I’ll go with both damn hands on the wheel. ⸻ [Final Chorus – Bigger] This ain’t no song made for radio. It’s for the ones still carryin’ the weight. West side dust made me who I am, Every busted mile put steel in my spine. The road don’t give a damn if you make it home, But it’ll show you exactly who you are. So crank this bastard loud when the world’s gone quiet… Because the dust road code never lies. ⸻ [Outro – Whispered Ad-libs] Still rollin’… Still here… Dust don’t bullshit. Neither do I.