The Road I Must Travel

Ain’t no map for the way I go,

No signs in the dirt, just what I know.

I’ve walked through fire, I’ve crawled through rain,

Left pieces of me in yesterday’s pain.

There’s a pull in my chest I can’t explain,

It don’t ask for comfort, it don’t ask for fame.

It’s the road I must travel, the hill I must climb,

The voice I can’t silence, the rhythm in time.

I didn’t choose easy, I didn’t choose fast,

But I chose every step and I’ll make it last.

Whatever I face, I won’t unravel —

This is the road,

The road I must travel.

I’ve been counted out, I’ve been talked down,

Still showed up swingin’ when they weren’t around.

I’ve had empty pockets and full-blown doubt,

But a heart like this don’t burn out.

You can keep your stage and shiny praise —

I’d rather earn my name in honest days.

It’s the road I must travel, the flame I must keep,

The promise I made when the mountain was steep.

It’s not about perfect, it’s not about clean,

It’s the strength to keep movin’ through everything.

Through every mile and every battle —

This is the road,

The road I must travel.

And if I fall, I fall forward.

And if I break, I break bold.

I’ll carry the weight of my own story,

But I won’t ever let it go cold.

It’s the road I must travel, the truth I must say,

The fire inside that won’t drift away.

It ain’t paved in gold, but it’s paved in grit,

And every damn scar — yeah, I needed it.

So I’ll walk it proud, and I’ll walk it gravel...

This is the road,

The road I must travel.