Ash in the Rearview

[Verse 1]
You left your sweatshirt
On the back of that chair
Still smells like July
And smoke in your hair
I keep the window cracked
So the memories roll through
Every slow exhale
Tastes a lot like you
[Chorus]
I’m just burnin’ down the last of us
One more drag, one more little rush
Every cloud’s another “what if” I undo
Still chasin’ what I can’t redo
Yeah, I light it just to watch it fade
Like your taillights on that highway
Guess I’m learnin’ how to let you go, breath by breath
Ash in the rearview
Love on my chest
[Verse 2]
There’s a dent in the couch
Where you used to lean in
Laughin’ at nothin’
Kissin’ my skin
Now it’s quiet as a church
On a Tuesday night
I smoke through the silence
‘Til the ache feels light
[Chorus]
I’m just burnin’ down the last of us
One more drag, one more little rush
Every cloud’s another “what if” I undo
Still chasin’ what I can’t redo
Yeah, I light it just to watch it fade
Like your taillights on that highway
Guess I’m learnin’ how to let you go, breath by breath
Ash in the rearview
Love on my chest
[Bridge]
Maybe someday I’ll wake up
And not reach for you in the dark
Not trace your name
In the smoke and the sparks
But tonight I’m on this porch
In your old jean jacket
Tryna quit your memory
Slow as this habit
[Chorus]
I’m just burnin’ down the last of us
One more drag, one more little rush
Every cloud’s another “what if” I undo
Still chasin’ what I can’t redo
Yeah, I light it just to watch it fade
Like your taillights on that highway
Guess I’m learnin’ how to let you go, breath by breath
Ash in the rearview
Love on my chest

country, Mid-tempo R&B-country crossover with female vocals; brushed drums and warm upright bass under soft fingerpicked acoustic guitar and mellow Rhodes piano. Verses stay intimate and close-mic’d, slight vinyl haze; chorus opens with stacked harmonies, a subtle gospel pad, and a rounder low end. Gentle slide guitar fills answer vocal phrases. Overall: smoky, late-night vibe with a steady pocket and a bittersweet lift on each hook., r&b, soft, female vocals