

Verse
Screen door slamming, sixteen and barefoot on the drive
Sprinklers ticking circles while the corn stood shoulder-high
You had grass stains on your collar and a dollar for the ice cream truck
We split a root beer float and called it luck
Pre-Chorus
Didn't know then what we know now
That summers don't just stay
We took the slow road, we took forever
Not knowing there's a price to pay
Chorus
It's the long way round to happy
Through the ditches and the dust
Every scraped knee, every heartbreak
Was a lesson we could trust
We took the wrong turns singing
Windows down, we didn't care
Yeah it's the long way round to happy
But I'd walk it anywhere
Verse
Bonfire sparks like fireflies over the water tower field
You taught me how to skip a stone, I taught you how to steal
A kiss behind the bleachers when the fireworks lit the sky
We swore we'd never grow up, never say goodbye
Pre-Chorus
Didn't know then what we know now
That the good ones slip like sand
We took the slow road, we took forever
Building castles we couldn't hold in our hands
Chorus
It's the long way round to happy
Through the ditches and the dust
Every scraped knee, every heartbreak
Was a lesson we could trust
We took the wrong turns singing
Windows down, we didn't care
Yeah it's the long way round to happy
But I'd walk it anywhere
Bridge
Now the porch light's dimmer, the old truck's rusted through
But I still hear that screen door and I still hear you
Some roads don't lead where the map says they should
They just lead you home the long way, and that's just as good
Chorus
It's the long way round to happy
Through the ditches and the dust
Every scraped knee, every heartbreak
Was a lesson we could trust
We took the wrong turns singing
Windows down, we didn't care
Yeah it's the long way round to happy
And I'd walk it all again
Every track is original music owned by WeavyAudio and licensed for unlimited commercial use — public performance in venues, streaming, social media, video, podcasts and advertising. It is AI-generated with commercially-licensed models and human-reviewed before release, so no third-party PRO royalties (ASCAP · BMI · PRS · GEMA · ZAiKS) apply. Redistribution or resale of the raw audio file itself is not permitted. Full terms in the licence agreement.