Still Right Here

Verse 1

He was born in ’81 in a nowhere town

Hospital on a two-lane road just outside of town

Mama cried, Daddy lit one up

Said, “That boy’s gonna be tough.”

Grew up on Braves games and sweet tea nights

Backseat ridin’ with the windows down right

Bike tires hummin’ on cracked blacktop

Didn’t know those days were gonna stop

No helmet, no fear, just dirt on his hands

Whole wide world was forty acres of land

Pre-Chorus

Back when the only thing buzzin’

Was a June bug in the screen

And the only thing we worried ‘bout

Was runnin’ outta gasoline

Chorus

Back when the porchlight stayed on

And nobody locked their doors

When a Friday night meant a field and a bonfire

And you didn’t need much more

Now it’s headlines, timelines, everybody drawin’ lines

Truth’s hard to find and time just flies

Yeah the world moved on, but it ain’t disappeared

That small-town boy’s still right here

Verse 2

Nineties hit with a hand-me-down truck

First love felt like forever and luck

George Strait playin’ through blown-out speakers

Her head on his shoulder in the bleachers

Senior year he swore he’d leave

Chase some big-city dreamin’ thing

But life’s got a way of settlin’ in

Like red clay stuck to your skin

Then one September morning came

And nothin’ ‘bout this world was the same

He watched that smoke on a TV screen

Felt his innocence leave at nineteen

Chorus

Back when the porchlight stayed on

And Sundays meant slow and still

When a man shook hands and that was that

And a promise was iron-willed

Now it’s screens glowin’ in the dark

Kids don’t play out in the yard

Yeah the world moved fast, but he ain’t disappeared

That small-town boy’s still right here

Bridge (Morgan-style — vulnerable)

Daddy’s chair’s still by the shed

Mama’s Bible by her bed

Some friends moved off, some passed on

Some just drifted and they’re gone

He’s got a son who’s almost ten

Watches him run like he did back then

And it hits him hard, how quick it goes

How you blink once and they’re grown

Breakdown Chorus (Quieter, Emotional)

Back when the porchlight stayed on

And love didn’t feel this hard

When neighbors talked across a fence

Not across a comment bar

He ain’t sayin’ it was perfect

Yeah, we had our tears

But the world can change all it wants to

That boy’s still right here

Outro (Anthem Lift)

Still believes in God and grit

Still stands up, don’t back down quick

Still rolls the windows down in July

Still thanks the Lord he’s alive

Yeah the times might change year to year

But that small-town soul?

Still right here.