[Verse 1]
He clocked in before sunrise
Grease on his sleeves like a stain
Welded up busted frames
Learned how to make them run again
On the floor with a busted knuckle
Counting dents like old hard days
Every paycheck, every mile
Bought a little more of his way
[Pre-Chorus]
Then the call came hard and sudden
He packed his life in a bag
Left a half-finished engine
And a flag on his shoulder tag
[Chorus]
Long road, long road
He drove it all alone
Long road, long road
Now he’s headed home
Wrenches down, boots off
Let the hard nights fade
Long road, long road
At last he gets to stay
[Verse 2]
He learned the taste of dust and diesel
Under a far-off desert sky
Kept his head down, kept his promise
Watched years roll by and by
Now the shop door stays quiet
No more sirens in his chest
He pours black tea on the porch rail
And lets the morning do the rest
[Pre-Chorus]
No more waking up to orders
No more running on fumes
Just a screen door, a cane chair
And a house with space to bloom
[Chorus]
Long road, long road
He drove it all alone
Long road, long road
Now he’s headed home
Wrenches down, boots off
Let the hard nights fade
Long road, long road
At last he gets to stay
[Bridge]
He’s got the scars, he’s got the stories
He’s got the medals in a drawer
But the best thing that he’s earned now
Is an easy chair on the floor
Kids and grandkids on the weekend
Laughing out across the yard
He smiles like he knows something
You can’t buy with work or war
[Final Chorus]
Long road, long road
He drove it all alone
Long road, long road
Now he’s headed home
Wrenches down, boots off
Let the hard nights fade
Long road, long road
At last he gets to stay
Long road, long road
He finally found his way