spoken
I just want to say this.
John… or Shorty, like we all knew him…
he was one of a kind.
He was a cowboy through and through…
an old soul in a young man’s life…
big heart, quick laugh… and the kind of friend you could always count on.
He lived more in 24 years than most do in a lifetime…
and he left a mark on all of us.
This song is for him…
for the memories, the laughs, and the love he gave.
So wherever you are, Shorty…
this one’s for you.
verse 1
There’s a silence in this town tonight
A hole where you used to be
We say your name and it don’t sound right
But it’s all we got to keep
John to the world, but we knew the truth
You were Shorty through and through
Just a cowboy soul in worn-out boots
With a heart too big for you
Chorus
So ride on, Shorty, ride on free
Where the sky rolls wide and the air runs clean
We’ll hear your laugh in the pouring rain
Feel you there through the pain
Yeah you’re gone from sight, but not from view
Every road we take… leads back to you
Verse 2
You could walk in quiet, leave loud as hell
Had a joke before hello
Turn a hard night into one to tell
With a story only we would know
You carried things you never showed
Kept ‘em buried deep inside
Still gave your love down every road
Never let that fire die
Chorus
So ride on, Shorty, ride on free
Where the night burns slow and the stars don’t leave
We’ll hear your voice in the evening wind
Feel you ride with us again
Yeah you’re gone from sight, but not from view
Every road we take… leads back to you
Bridge (soft)
You were kind…
You were strong…
You were there when things went wrong…
You were ours…
That won’t change…
Love like that don’t fade away…
Final Chorus
So ride on, Shorty, don’t slow down
Past the pain, past this broken town
We’ll carry you in the way we live
In every bit of love we give
Yeah you’re gone from sight, but not from truth
We’re still standing here… because of you
Outro
Ride on…
We’ll meet you down that road…