Long Way Back To Denver

[Verse 1]
You were barefoot on the hood
Of that beat-up Chevrolet
Burnt coffee in a paper cup
Sayin’
“We should run today”
You traced maps on my forearm
Like you knew the way by heart
Said
“There’s a line out past Nebraska
Where the sky just falls apart”
[Chorus]
And it’s a long way back to Denver
From the things we thought we’d be
All those mile-marked promises
Scattered out behind me
I still see your hair in the crosswind
Hear you laugh
“We’ll never surrender”
I got an old song stuck on replay
And a long way back to Denver
[Verse 2]
We got snowed in near Laramie
In a motel
Faded blue
You were dancing ‘round the space heater
Singin’ off-key to the news
You said
“If this storm keeps on
We can blame it for our lives”
But the clouds broke in the morning
And you broke it with your eyes
[Chorus]
Now it’s a long way back to Denver
From the lies we let sound true
All those gas station ultimatums
I threw like they’d bounce off you
I still taste cheap gin and thunder
Hear you slam that door in December
I got a full tank and half a heart
And a long way back to Denver
[Bridge]
[Guitar steps forward
Drums lean in]
Somewhere past the county line
I turned the mirror toward the floor
Couldn’t stand that empty shoulder
You’re not riding here no more (no more)
If I cross that state sign
Will you still be on that porch?
Or am I just chasing ghosts
Down a burned-out stretch of north?
[Chorus]
‘Cause it’s a long way back to Denver
From a kid I can’t defend
All those half-grown
Half-meant “sorry”s
Never made it to the end
If you’re out there on the west side
Watching storms roll soft and tender
Leave a porch light on the hillside
I’m a long way back to Denver (hey)
I’m a long
Long way back to Denver

rock, Classic 70s road-rock band feel, male vocals. Clean electric arpeggios over a steady mid-tempo groove, warm bass and dry snare. Verses stay close and conversational, organ pads tucked in the back; chorus opens with big stacked harmonies, ringing open chords, and a sing-along hook. Short melodic guitar fills between lines, then a tasteful soaring break over the bridge before one last loud, proud chorus., classic rock