Prompt / Lyrics
[Verse 1] First time I saw my name Flicker on that dead-end bar sign Thought it meant I’d outrun Every backroad Every hard time Left mama in the doorway Left my brother with the bills Said “I’ll come back richer” Chasing cheap-stage thrills [Chorus] Now I’m a ghost on the marquee Letters burned out over me Just a shadow in a doorway Wet cardboard underneath my knees If you ever hear this old song On a static AM wave Tell my younger self I’m sorry Tell my past to forgive the grave [Verse 2] I traded good Sunday mornings For last call smoke in my lungs Sold a gold high school promise For strangers mouthing along Six strings and a suitcase Full of lies I called a plan Broke hearts like guitar strings Trying to be “the front man” [Chorus] Now I’m a ghost on the marquee Letters burned out over me Just a shadow in a doorway Wet cardboard underneath my knees If you ever hear this old song On a static AM wave Tell my younger self I’m sorry Tell my past to forgive the grave [Bridge] I see that kid in the mirror of a rain-streaked window Twenty-two Full of gasoline and grace Wish I’d told him “Call your father Hold your mother Dream small Love deep Stay in one place” (oh) All these miles for a bed of stone and splinters All this pride for an empty stage [Chorus] Now I’m a ghost on the marquee Letters burned out over me Just a shadow in a doorway Talking to the man I used to be If you ever hear this old song On a static AM wave Tell my younger self I’m sorry Tell my past to forgive the grave
Tags
rock, Dusty alt-country rock with male vocals, rattling Telecaster twang and low-tuned baritone guitar. Kick and floor tom stomp like worn boots on a barroom floor, bass lopes behind. Verses stay close and hushed with brushed snare and organ pads; chorus swells with harmony, overdriven slide, and wide reverb. Bridge drops to near a cappella, then band slams back in for a ragged, cathartic final hook., country, country rock
Duration
3:24
Instrumental
No
Created
1/21/2026