Track 1 — After the Road (formerly After Oz) Verse 1 Streets aren’t gold and skies aren’t green Just the hum of a quiet machine I found my heart in a far-off land But no one left to take my hand Love walks forward, I just creak Learning slowly how to speak Pre-Chorus The old guide gave me what I never knew Now every song feels almost true She turned away in shining shoes Back to the life she chose to choose Home on the plains, so people say Settled down and slipped away Left her friends in the fading glow On that road from long ago Chorus After the road, there’s no parade Just softer nights and slower days I thought a heart would light the way But sometimes love just makes you stay I found the beat, I lost the cause That’s what came after the road Verse 2 I learned to cry, I learned to wait I carry joy and hesitate The world’s still cold, but I can feel Rust is heavy when it’s real Bridge The straw-man walks the fields again The quiet king still roams with friends I keep alive this little flame A heart is warm, but not the same Hey… do you still remember our names Final Chorus After the road, there’s no more wish Just moments you don’t want to miss I thought a heart would make me whole Now I can feel, and now I know Not every dream becomes because That’s what happened after the road Track 2 — Straw for Thought (safe version) (no Oz words needed — this one already works well) Key: E major Mood: reflective / thoughtful Verse 1 I dream in riddles now, I speak in lines What’s the use of knowing time Thoughts are quiet, but they echo loud Thinking made me miss the clouds Chorus I got my mind and learned the art Of pulling worlds and pulling hearts I solved the maze, but lost the map Built a road that folded back And I wonder who I was before the thought Bridge I speak in answers now, not grace But truth can’t fill an empty space Track 3 — The Gentle Roar (safe version) Verse 1 I don’t flinch in the dark no more But I miss the reason I once roared Courage came like steady rain Washed the fear but left the pain Chorus They called me brave, they called me strong But no one asked where I belong I wore the crown, I played the part Still silence echoes in my heart I’m the king who learned to walk in peace Bridge There’s no fight left to win But I still prowl within Outro (shared theme line) I found my heart, it made me stay I found my mind, it lost the way I found my roar, but not the war What we became, we can’t ignore No silver shine, no great applause Just who we are… after the road
