[Intro – acoustic guitar, quiet, deadpan male vocal, slightly defeated] Room six, 7 a.m. Total knee, no end [Verse 1 – laid-back, storytelling, dry delivery] They draped him up, they drew the line The surgeon said "this won't take long" I'm the PA holding the retractor Four hours in and something's wrong The saw is loud, the lights are hot My mask is itching, my back is shot Then the speaker kicks on in the corner Same playlist as the last three days [Pre-Chorus – building, hand claps, drums enter, rising intensity] And the circulator's humming The scrub tech's gone half insane Every song's a truck and a tailgate Every chorus is the same I've begged them, I've bargained I've asked who's got the aux Nobody answers, the surgeon just smiles And says "turn it up, boys, we're not done" [Chorus – full band, stacked harmonies, big sing-along, gang vocals on the last line] Oh, it's Texas to Abilene, one more time Holding this retractor, losing my mind Bone dust in the air and a steel guitar Somebody get me out, I don't care how far It's Texas to Abilene, on repeat Tibial tray and a three-minute beat I've heard that chorus a hundred times today (Texas to Abilene!) Please let me go home and stay [Verse 2 – same feel, a little more unhinged] The anesthesiologist is crying The nurse just whispers "I know every word" The patient's out, he's the lucky one He's the only one who hasn't heard The surgeon's tapping on the cautery Like it's a snare drum on the beat I counted eleven key changes And every one was the same four chords, so weak [Pre-Chorus – building, hand claps, drums enter, rising intensity] And the circulator's humming The scrub tech's gone half insane Every song's a pickup and a sunset Every verse says the same thing I've begged them, I've bargained I tried to pull the plug Nobody answers, the surgeon just smiles And says "we're closing, then we're on the next one" [Chorus – full band, stacked harmonies, slightly more desperate] Oh, it's Texas to Abilene, one more time Holding this retractor, I'm losing my mind Saw dust in the air and a steel guitar Somebody get me out, I don't care how far It's Texas to Abilene, on repeat Staples and gauze and a three-minute beat I've heard that chorus a thousand times today (Texas to Abilene!) Somebody take it away [Bridge – stripped back, just acoustic and kick drum, spoken-sung, breaking down] I used to love a country song Now I flinch at a pedal steel Please, just play some silence Or some mariachi, I don't care how it feels [Key change up – drums slam back, full band, desperate shout] [Final Chorus – biggest, gang vocals, everybody screaming along, triumphant but broken] Oh, it's Texas to Abilene, the whole damn way Holding this retractor till the end of the day Bone dust in the air and a steel guitar Somebody get me out, I don't care how far It's Texas to Abilene, on repeat Closing up the incision on a three-minute beat Next case is booked, same playlist, same queue (Texas to Abilene!) Lord, I'm coming for you [Outro – acoustic guitar, quiet, deadpan, exhausted] Room six, 7 p.m. Total knee, no end (Speaker clicks on again)
