Roadside Roses

[Verse 1]
White wood crosses in the gravel
Plastic flowers bleached by sun
Little teddy bear gone weathered
Names half-faded, almost gone
Somebody's boy in that curve there
Some mama's world in this ditch
A coffee cup tied to a fencepost
From a man on the night shift
[Chorus]
All these roadside roses
For the ones that never made it home
They left in a hurry
Now their jackets hang in empty closets alone
Every mile's a whispered story
Every turn could take a life
I ease off the gas and I say a prayer
For the ones who never made it to the other side
[Verse 2]
There's a hard hat nailed to a pine tree
Right before that old red barn
Probably kissed his kids at daybreak
Then he disappeared in the dark
There's a prom dress in a picture
Taped to a crooked sign
Young smile frozen in the flashbulb
Whole future stopped in time
[Chorus]
All these roadside roses
For the ones that never made it home
They left in a hurry
Now their jackets hang in empty closets alone
Every mile's a whispered story
Every turn could take a life
I ease off the gas and I say a prayer
For the ones who never made it to the other side
[Bridge]
We pass by like it won't be us (won't be us)
Till a taillight's all they see of love (all they see)
So I grip that wheel a little tighter
And thank God I'm going where I was
[Chorus]
All these roadside roses
For the ones that never made it home
They left over breakfast
Coffee cooling where their laughter used to roam
Every mile's a whispered story
Every turn could take a life
I slow it down and I say a prayer
For the ones who never made it
And the ones still driving through the night

country, Slow, emotional country ballad with male vocals, brushed drums, soft upright bass, and fingerpicked acoustic guitar. Steel guitar cries gently in the background; verses stay hushed and storytelling, chorus swells with warm harmonies and a lift in the steel. Subtle piano doubles key phrases in the chorus, with a tender, intimate mix that keeps the vocal front and center., slow, emotional