18 WHEELS OF THE DAMMED

[INTRO — spoken, reverb-drenched] "Dispatch says deliver by dawn. Dispatch don't know what dawn costs out here." [VERSE 1] Left the yard at a quarter to three No moon, no stars, just the road and me GPS died somewhere past the state line Been followin' the fog since a quarter past nine Loaded up heavy with somethin' that shifts Every time I brake there's a sound like a fist The manifest says "freight — miscellaneous" The weight in the back is not unanimous [PRE-CHORUS] The radio plays but there ain't no station Just a voice that knows my name Every mile is a new damnation Every exit looks the same — looks the same [CHORUS — massive drop, danceable] Roll, roll, roll through the dark 18 wheels and a cold black heart Keep your lights on, keep your eyes wide Somethin' in the cargo is alive Rev it up, let the engine scream This highway's longer than it ought to be Dance with me under the diesel sky — We don't stop 'til the morning dies! [VERSE 2] Diner at exit 9 with a blinking red sign Lady behind the counter says "You're right on time" I never told her when I'd arrive She fills my cup before I pull in the drive Trucker in the corner hasn't blinked in an hour His logbook's full but his rig lost power He nods at me like we share a debt "You'll understand, son. You ain't there yet." [PRE-CHORUS] The static talks back if you listen close enough Says your name like a hymn, says it rough Every weigh station wave me on through Like the officers see something else in the booth — [CHORUS] Roll, roll, roll through the dark 18 wheels and a cold black heart Keep your lights on, keep your eyes wide Somethin' in the cargo is alive Rev it up, let the engine scream This highway's longer than it ought to be Dance with me under the diesel sky — We don't stop 'til the morning dies! [BRIDGE — haunted breakdown, synth swells] I've been driving for forty-seven hours The clock says three — it's always three The cargo shifts, the whole rig shudders "Deliver us" — or is that me? There's a woman on the overpass waving me down She was there last run — and the run before She mouths the words but I can't make the sound I drive on. I always drive on. [OUTRO CHORUS — layered, euphoric, unsettling] Roll, roll, roll — don't you ever stop The freight must move 'til the whole world drops 18 wheels on a road with no end Every load's a deal I made again Dance, dance, dance 'til the asphalt bleeds The highway gives you everything you need Just don't ask what's in bay number five — Just be grateful that you're still alive. [OUTRO — spoken, fading into engine rumble] "ETA: unknown. Condition of driver: debatable. Condition of cargo: … listening."