[Intro – laid-back groove, light guitar + flute fills] [Verse 1] He wore his boots like a battle cry Dust on his coat, no alibi The city men with their polished shoes Could never walk where he would choose They laughed at the way he tipped his hat Said, “What kind of man still lives like that?” But he just grinned through a crooked smile Said, “I’ve been gone… for quite a while” [Chorus] Too wild for the king’s road Too rough for a silver load Too late for a noble name Still dancing outside the game [Verse 2] He knew the woods like an old refrain Every loss and every gain While velvet hands kept counting gold He dealt in stories never told A cup half full and a song half sung A heart half free but forever young He paid no mind to the rising cost Of all the things the others lost [Chorus] Too wild for the king’s road Too free to be safely sold Too far from the rules they write Still laughing into the night [Instrumental – flute lead, playful but bluesy] [Bridge – slower, reflective] They build their walls… they draw their lines… Trade their souls… for borrowed times… But he walks on… through ash and flame… Never needing… a proper name… [Final Chorus – bigger, with backing vocals] Too wild for the king’s road Too old to be neatly told Too loose for a gilded cage Still turning another page [Outro – fade with groove + flute]
