(Opening with a distorted, wah wah guitar riff – 70’s rock style instrumental intro. Drums kick in heavy and driving) (Verse 1) Nineteen sixty eight, a memory that screams Jungle heat and blood soaked dreams, a nightmare that it seems Will never end, this war within, a constant, gnawing pain Another bottle downed, another day of pouring rain Lost my job, lost my girl, left with nothing but the dust Just a hollow shell, consumed by rust (Chorus) But the engine roars, a thunder in my soul Leavin' all this hell behind, takin' back control Packin' up my bags, jumpin' on my hog This highway's my escape, this road, my only cog Road to Hell they call it, but I see a different light A flicker in the darkness, burnin' ever so bright (Verse 2) (Guitar solo – soaring, bluesy, expressive, showcasing the emotional turmoil) Flashbacks hit like bombs, the jungle closes in Whispers in the darkness, where do I even begin? To piece myself together, to find a way to mend This broken heart, this shattered friend But the wind howls freedom, a siren in my ear Washin' away the sorrow, conquerin' all fear (Chorus) 'Cause the engine roars, a thunder in my soul Leavin' all this hell behind, takin' back control Packin' up my bags, jumpin' on my hog This highway's my escape, this road, my only cog Road to Hell they call it, but I see a different light A flicker in the darkness, burnin' ever so bright (Bridge) (Tempo slows slightly, more introspective) Maybe redemption waits, beyond this dusty track Maybe peace is findable, maybe I can turn back Not to the life I knew, but to a life, reborn Leaving the ghosts behind, meetin' a brand new morn (Chorus) 'Cause the engine roars, a thunder in my soul Leavin' all this hell behind, takin' back control Packin' up my bags, jumpin' on my hog This highway's my escape, this road, my only cog Road to Hell they call it, but I see a different light A flicker in the darkness, burnin' ever so bright (Outro) (Instrumental outro – building to a powerful crescendo, then fading out with a final, lingering guitar note. Emphasis on drums and bass to convey the feeling of the open road.) **(Meta tags): 70s Rock, Vietnam War, PTSD, Alcoholism, Redemption, Hope, Love (implied – the love of freedom and the potential for a new life), Highway, Motorcycle, Self Discovery, Road Trip) **
