Verse 1 Big Bear winter, cold bedroom wall Learned real young how to duck when fists fall Sixteen years deep in a house full of fear Packed up my hurt, said I’m outta here Told my friends, said I’m leavin’ town Hair-brained dream, no map, no plan written down Girls said they’re in, we’ll meet at dawn Sun came up… my best friend was gone Pre-Chorus Three kids standin’ at a mountain stop Hearts beat fast like they might just pop Didn’t know where the road would run Just knew we were done Chorus We were sixteen and gone Running on fumes and a rebel song Lake Arrowhead to the Arizona line Red Silverado and borrowed time No phones, no plan, just desert sky Trying to outrun the pain inside Yeah we thought we were strong We were just sixteen and gone ⸻ Verse 2 Hotel room laughin’, bed sheet cape Told my girl I was Batman, planning our escape Jumped on the mattress, landed at her feet For a minute that world felt sweet Next morning I “found” them Silverado keys Like freedom was parked there waitin’ on me Filled it up once, then twice that day Gas gauge fallin’ like our getaway Diesel letters written on the side of the can In the back of that truck, I can’t believe it ran “Oh …fuck…” echo in the heat Regular gas and prayin’ feet Bought a station dry tryin’ to roll Didn’t get far — so I let that truck go Chorus We were sixteen and wild Hitchhikin’ on fumes like a runaway child Lake Havasu dust in our hair London Bridge and a desert prayer Stealin’ curtains just to stay warm Tryin’ to survive our own damn storm Yeah we thought we were strong We were just sixteen and gone ⸻ Bridge (strip it down, acoustic) Cans in a bag for a burger and fries Stealin’ souvenirs to stay alive Best friend’s girl broke first, called back home Said this ain’t freedom, this is alone My girl looked tired, I knew it too This wild west dream was fallin’ through Dialed a number I barely knew Hadn’t heard her voice in a year or two “Mom… can you come?” Sirens blue. ⸻ Verse 3 Police lights flashin’ on the store front side Looked ‘em in the eyes, said “Where’s your ride?” Separate cells, eight hours long Peelin’ paint while the night crawled on My girl’s mama said I’d rot in jail She wasn’t wrong, I had derailed My mother showed up — didn’t say much Cops Made me clean the mess I’d touched Final Chorus (bigger) We were sixteen and gone Running from fists and broken homes From Big Bear cold to desert heat Barefoot kids on borrowed streets Thought freedom meant never lookin’ back Turns out freedom ain’t built like that Yeah we thought we were strong We were just sixteen and gone I never went back to that mountain house Never heard that anger shout No more black eyes, no more lies No more “son, you slipped outside” My bones healed up, the cuts turned thin But I still remember what he did I was standin’ at the end of me And that road meant him or me It was him or me.

Sixteen and Gone