Intro
Quarter tank left on the dash
Tail lights wash the cabin in an amber flash
One. Two. Three. Four.
Yeah
Verse
Brake pads whistling, six on the lower tier
Gauge needle floating between empty and nowhere near
Windshield smeared with the ghost of an autumn rain
Tunnel vision tunneling through six wide lanes
Been operating on an analog overdrive
Forgetting what it costs just to sit and be alive
AC rattling, spitting out a steady chill
Concrete quiet, but the inner gears grinding still
My knuckles pale where they lock to the vinyl grip
Tongue taste like bitter dark roast on the lip
Used to think the rush was the only way not to freeze
Running red meters just to outpace the memories
Now the radiator hums like an organ tone
Vibrating steady through the marrow of the collarbone
Shift into neutral, let the chassis drop its weight
Air hits the lungs, make the panic decelerate
Chorus
Red lights bleeding down the interstate line (state line)
Inhale four, let it settle in the spine (the spine)
Been surviving on the idle just to feel what's real
Cold palms flattening against the wheel (the wheel)
Red lights bleeding down the interstate line (state line)
Inhale four, let it settle in the spine (the spine)
Verse
Exhaust rising like steam off an open cut
Distance closing slowly while the heavy doors stay shut
Man in the sedan to the left got his forehead down
Sharing an ocean of inertia in a humming town
For three whole seasons I was hollowed out, coasting blind
Leaving half my presence in the gravel miles behind
Heart like an engine block cooled in a sudden frost
Calculating mileage by the pieces that I lost
Now the heat clicks on, warm copper through the grate
Feeling every contour of the minutes while I wait
Defrost wires melting out the foggy glass
Ribs pull wide, let the heavy static pass
It ain't a finish line, nobody gets a silver cup
Just a pulse in the throat when the rhythm starts back up
Five seconds holding at the ceiling of the chest
Exhale slow, give the engine room a rest
Chorus
Red lights bleeding down the interstate line (state line)
Inhale four, let it settle in the spine (the spine)
Been surviving on the idle just to feel what's real
Cold palms flattening against the wheel (the wheel)
Red lights bleeding down the interstate line (state line)
Inhale four, let it settle in the spine (the spine)
Bridge
Blinker ticking like a metronome against the dark
I don't need velocity to carry any spark
No momentum needed to confirm that I exist
Fingers uncurling from the center of the fist
The frost on the sternum starts to lose its hold
Sitting in the warmth of a city growing cold
Outro
One. Two.
Three. Four.
Lane opens up.
Breathe out. (breathe out)
Green light on the wet asphalt.
Rolling slow. (slow)
