Steady Ground (Album 3)

Verse 1

I go back through the nights like I missed something
Like the truth was hidin' in the light
Every smile I trusted, every reason I stayed
Wonderin' if I was blind
But the more I rewind it, the clearer it gets
It wasn't weakness, it was faith
I wasn't reachin' for a story to tell
I was believin' what you said

Chorus

It's the quiet that hurts, not the fight
It's the questions that don't sleep at night
I don't hate you — I just finally see
I wasn't crazy, I was trusting you with me
This ain't bitterness, this ain't regret
It's me learnin' what self-respect is

Verse 2

There's a calm kind of anger nobody warns you about
It don't scream, it just stays
Shows up when the lights are low
And you're prayin' words you can't quite say
I gave grace where I should've drawn lines
Called it love, called it hope
Even Jesus flipped tables once
When the truth got choked

Chorus

It's the quiet that hurts, not the fight
It's the questions that don't sleep at night
I don't hate you — I just finally see
I wasn't crazy, I was trusting you with me
This ain't bitterness, this ain't regret
It's me learnin' what self-respect is

Bridge

I asked God why I stayed so long
He said, "Son, you loved the best you knew"
Forgiveness ain't excusin' the wound
It's layin' it down so it don't poison you

Chorus

It's the quiet that healed me in time
It's the strength in drawin' my line
I forgive myself for believin'
That love wouldn't lie to my face
This ain't bitterness, this ain't regret
Faith ain't weakness — it's self-respect

Outro

I wasn't crazy
I was trusting
And God knows my heart meant well

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Verse 1

I don't know your yesterday
Only what you choose to say
Moments you don't think show through
When the music fades from view
There's a story in your eyes
Like you're strong but tired inside
Like you've learned to hold your hurt
In a quiet kind of way

Pre-Chorus

Maybe I'm wrong
Maybe I'm just seeing what I've known
But something in your silence
Feels too close to home

Chorus

If I'm reading you right
You've been holding on tight
To a love that didn't stay
The way you thought it might
If he walked out and left
And you're telling the world you're fine
Girl, I don't know your story
But I recognize that look sometimes
And if he didn't see your worth
Or the fire in your heart
Maybe I'm just some stranger
But I see that part

Verse 2

You said the past just points the way
Not the place we're meant to stay
I've held onto that line
More than you'll ever know
Funny how a simple phrase
Can echo through the days
Makes me wonder what you lived
To say it like you do

Pre-Chorus

I won't pretend
I know the weight you're carrying
But there's strength in how you stand
Even while you're healing

Chorus

If I'm reading you right
You're finding your own light
Not waiting on somebody
To finally treat you right
If he couldn't see your heart
Or the beauty in your soul
That doesn't make you broken
Just means he didn't know

Chorus

If I'm reading you right
You're learning how to stand
Without needing someone else
To finally understand
If he couldn't see your heart
Or the beauty in your soul
That doesn't make you broken
Just means he didn't know

Outro

If they leave…
let them
If they don't see your light…
let them
If they couldn't love
The way you loved them
Let them
Some people are only part
Of where you've been
Never where you're meant to land
So if they walk away…
let them
Baby… just… let them

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Verse 1

People ask what I'm looking for
Like I've got some perfect answer I can give
But the truth is, it ain't that simple
She's the kind of woman that don't fit in a list
She likes her books with dog-eared pages
And her dresses hanging loose in the summer wind
Can balance a budget down to the penny
Then disappear on a weekend trip again

Pre-Chorus

She don't fit in one box
Never did, never will

Chorus

She's everything at once
Gentle and moody, steady and wild
The kind that turns heads when she walks in
Then sits alone and reads for a while
She's got a beautiful smile
And a heart that's even better
A free spirit chasing tomorrow
With both feet planted together
And I'd swear a woman like that
Could have anybody under the sun
That's why it feels impossible
She's everything at once

Verse 2

She's smart enough to win the argument
But wise enough to let the small things go
Strong enough to stand on her own
But still lets the right people get close
She's got standards that scare most men
And honestly, maybe they should
But somehow when she laughs
You find yourself hoping you could

Pre-Chorus

Be the one she notices
Though you know the odds are slim

Chorus

She's everything at once
Gentle and moody, steady and wild
The kind that turns heads when she walks in
Then sits alone and reads for a while
She's got a beautiful smile
And a heart that's even better
A free spirit chasing tomorrow
With both feet planted together
And I'd swear a woman like that
Could have anybody under the sun
That's why it feels impossible
She's everything at once

Bridge

Maybe that's what gets me
The things that don't belong
All the little contradictions
Somehow making her so strong
She isn't half of anything
She never has to choose
She's all the things I thought
Nobody could ever be

Final Chorus

She's everything at once
Beauty and grace, fire and calm
The kind of woman you spend a lifetime
Trying to write into a song
And if she never looks my way
Well, I guess that wouldn't be new
But if she ever gave her heart away
I hope she finds someone worthy of it too
'Cause she's everything at once

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Verse 1

I found you in a moment I didn't expect
Somewhere between late nights and overthinking texts
You walked in quiet but you changed everything
Like a song I didn't know my heart could sing
You don't even see what I see in you
The way you smile like you've got something to prove
But you don't gotta fight just to be enough
You already are… yeah you always were

Pre-Chorus

And I know you've been hurt before
Got you guarded at your core
But you don't have to hide from me

Chorus

You're beautiful just the way you are
Every piece, even where you're scarred
You don't have to hide… not from me
You're everything you're meant to be
And I thank God you walked into my life
But I won't pretend I don't fear time
So just stay… don't slip away
You're something I don't wanna lose

Verse 2

You say you're not enough, I don't know why
When every time I look at you, I see my whole life
You don't need makeup, you don't need a mask
There ain't a better version than the one I have
You're turnin' heads and you don't even know
Got a heart of gold under all that doubt you show
If you could see you through my eyes tonight
You'd finally believe you got it right

Pre-Chorus

You don't gotta chase a perfect dream
You're already everything to me

Chorus

You're beautiful just the way you are
Every piece, even where you're scarred
You don't have to hide… not from me
You're everything you're meant to be
And I thank God you walked into my life
But I won't pretend I don't fear time
So just stay… don't slip away
You're something I don't wanna lose

Bridge

If I lose you, I lose my peace
If I lose you, what's left of me
I don't ask for much… just honesty
And a chance at what we could be
What you've been through don't dim your light
It just proves you made it through the night
I'm not perfect… I'll get it wrong
But I'll be right here… steady on

Chorus

You're beautiful just the way you are
Every piece, even where you're scarred
You don't have to hide… not from me
You're everything you're meant to be
And I thank God you walked into my life
Even with this quiet side of time
So just stay… don't fade away
You're something I don't wanna lose

Outro

Yeah… you don't know you're beautiful…
But you are… to me

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Verse 1

My mind runs overtime when it comes to you
Every laugh, every little thing you do
From the jokes we made that never got old
To the quiet truths you slowly told
Somehow you stayed when I was hard to read
When my thoughts ran wild inside of me
I probably drove you insane some days
But you never walked away

Pre-Chorus

Somewhere in the middle of our late-night talks
You opened a door I thought was locked

Chorus

I don't know where this goes
But I know I don't want it to stop
You're the first thought in my morning
And the last one before I close my eyes
It wasn't how you looked
That ever captured me
It was the way your heart
Made it safe to just be me

Verse 2

I looked forward to every word you'd say
Somehow you always changed my day
The crazy, funny, beautiful soul you are
Reached straight through my guarded heart
You trusted me with the truth in you
And that made me trust you too
Somewhere between the walls we built
We both let them fall away

Pre-Chorus

I never thought I'd feel this way
But you brought something back to life in me

Chorus

I don't know where this goes
But I know I don't want it to stop
You're the first thought in my morning
And the last one before I close my eyes
It wasn't how you looked
That ever captured me
It was the way your heart
Made it safe to just be me

Bridge

I knew your heart before I knew your smile
And somehow that was more than enough
You never asked me to be someone else
You just accepted who I was
If love begins with anything at all
Maybe it starts right here
Two imperfect hearts deciding
There's nothing left to hide

Chorus

I don't know where this goes
But I know I don't want it to stop
You helped me feel alive again
You woke a part I thought I'd lost
If tomorrow changes everything
I'll still be grateful that we met
'Cause loving who you really are
Is something I'll never regret
It wasn't just your heart
That changed something in me
It was knowing I could finally be
Exactly who I am meant to be

Outro

You trusted me...
I trusted you...
I don't want that...
To ever stop.

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Verse 1

It's morning here but I can't sleep
Somewhere driving down these Texas streets
Same town, same side of the world
Still somehow I'm thinking of you, girl
Your voice comes through my phone at night
Half laughing, half trying to fight
The way you get inside my mind
Like something I can't leave behind

Pre-Chorus

You say I drive you insane sometimes
But you still call me every night

Chorus

You say you're stuck inside my head
Even when I'm lying in bed
Same city lights, same midnight sky
Still feels like miles between you and I
I say I'm gonna walk away
But something always makes me stay
Maybe love's a crazy game
But I keep calling out your name

Verse 2

I tell you stories from Texas roads
About my songs and the life I chose
About the miles and the things I've seen
And all the places I've been
Sometimes I joke, sometimes I doubt
Sometimes I'm trying to figure you out
But every time I say goodbye
You're back again by morning light

Pre-Chorus

Maybe we're crazy chasing this
But there's something real we can't dismiss

Chorus

You say you're stuck inside my head
Even when I'm lying in bed
Same city lights, same midnight sky
Still feels like miles between you and I
I say I'm gonna walk away
But something always makes me stay
Maybe love's a crazy game
But I keep calling out your name

Bridge

Maybe it's the way we laugh
At things nobody else would get
Maybe it's the way we talk
Like we've already met
Or maybe it's the truth we see
When there's no one else around
Two stubborn hearts in the same old town
Still somehow spinning around

Chorus

You say you're stuck inside my head
Even when I'm lying in bed
Same streets, same city lights
Still feels miles away some nights
And if you drive me a little insane
Maybe that's love calling my name
Because no matter where I go
I still find my way back home

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Intro

Late night… same screen…
Same words I can't outrun…

Verse 1

Scrolling through old messages I should've erased
Every word still hits like it did that day
Been everywhere lately but it don't feel right
All these lights and people still feel like a lie

Pre-Chorus

I didn't know what I was looking for
Till I felt something I can't ignore

Chorus

Ooooh, I see cleeeear when you're close to me
All this noise don't mean a thing to me
I've been drowning in what I can't keep
You're the only one that pulls me free

Verse 2

Every time it starts to feel this real
I find a way to break it, I don't know why I do
You don't run when I start shutting down
You just stay when I'm trying to push you out

Pre-Chorus

I didn't know what I was looking for
Till I felt something I can't ignore

Chorus

Ooooh, I see cleeeear when you're close to me
All this noise don't mean a thing to me
I've been drowning in what I can't keep
You're the only one that pulls me free

Bridge

I don't trust myself when it gets this real
Every time I try, I just disappear
If I lose you now, it's on me again
And I don't think I can take that hit
Don't let me be the reason this falls apart
I've done that before, I know that part

Chorus

Ooooh, I see cleeeear when you're close to me
All this noise don't mean a thing to me
I've been drowning in what I can't keep
You're the only one that pulls me free
Don't let me lose what I finally see

Outro

Ooooh… I see clear…
Don't let me lose what I finally see…

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Verse 1

I watched you walk where I couldn't follow
Prayin' somehow you'd find your way
Had a hundred reasons to stop you
But love don't work that way
So I stepped aside and let you choose
Even though it broke my heart
'Cause loving you was never about
Keeping you where you are

Pre-Chorus

I stood before God and took your hand
Promised forever the best I can
For better or worse, come what may...
Those weren't just words I threw away

Chorus

If he gives you the life
I always wanted you to have
Then don't you spend one second
Looking back
If he loves you the way
I always prayed someone would
I'll smile knowing
You found the life you should
But before your tears hit the ground...
Before your whole world comes unwound...
I'll be there.

Bridge

I can't promise tomorrow
I can't promise forever
I can't promise life won't break your heart again
But I made one promise
The day I took your hand...
And I still mean it.

Chorus

If he gives you the life
I always wanted you to have
Then don't you spend one second
Looking back
I won't ask you to choose
I won't ask you to stay
I just want this world
To treat you better than it has
Before your tears hit the ground...
Before your whole world comes unwound...
I'll be there.

Outro

And if he doesn't...
I'll still be here.

AB equals JB squared.

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Verse 1

My head says, "Don't get reckless,
You've seen how this one ends."
My heart says, "I'm not finished,
I still believe in then."
Head keeps drawing red lines
Across every open door
Heart just shrugs and says,
"I've survived worse before."

Chorus

Past only exists to explain the direction,
Never the place I will land
My head wants proof and protection,
My heart just reaches its hand
Not for a promise or a plan
I choose you just because it's you
And I'm steady enough now to stand
When my old fears argue the truth

Verse 2

My head says, "You'll regret this,
You've got too much to lose."
My heart says, "We've been careful,
But careful never moves."
Head keeps citing old stories,
Heart says, "They've had their say."
Maybe scars were only lessons
Not chains that have to stay.

Chorus

Past only exists to explain the direction,
Never the place I will land
My head wants proof and protection,
My heart just reaches its hand
Not for a promise or a plan
I choose you just because it's you
And I'm steady enough now to stand
When my old fears argue the truth

Bridge

Sometimes it happens when we're stable enough
To finally look at things without panic
When the noise finally settles
And the silence isn't frantic
Maybe healing isn't breaking
Maybe courage isn't loud
Maybe love was always waiting
I was just afraid to choose it out loud

Chorus

Past only exists to explain the direction,
Never the place I will land
My head still whispers protection,
But my heart's got the upper hand
Not for a promise or a plan
I choose you just because it's you
Yeah I choose you just because it's you
And I'm steady enough now to stand

Outro

My head won't always question
My heart won't always run
One day they'll sit together
Under the same sun
When doubt and hope stop fighting
When the noise has fallen silent
When what I feel and what I know
Don't stand there in defiance
That's when I'll know it's real
No more dividing lines
When my head and heart align
That's when I'll know you're mine
When my head and heart align…
That's when I'll know you're mine.

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Intro

Everybody's got that one friend...
This one's mine.
Hey...
Watch this...
Hold my beer.

Verse 1

He knew what he wanted
I knew how to get there
Neither one of us knew
How much we'd need the other
If one of us said,
"Hey... watch this..."
The other grabbed a beer
Never once stopped to ask...
"Is this a good idea?"

Chorus

It's the road to Brownwood
Where life slows down
Truck headed east
Windows rolled down
We laugh about the stories
That probably should've killed us
Guess the good Lord
Was riding with us...
'Cause common sense sure wasn't.
Now it's fishing poles
Cold beer
Sun sinking low
Funny how growing older...
Still feels like home.

Verse 2

Shot Roman candles at each other
Thought we were bulletproof
Pulled wheelies trying to high-five
Like we had something to prove
Jumped bonfires after midnight
Thought we could fly that far
Got kicked out the front of the bar...
Walked back in through the back.
Thought we could tame jet skis
Man... they threw us around
But one grasshopper hits the boat...
And two grown men
Leave the ground.

Bridge

We argued over everything
Neither one liked to lose
Then somebody'd smile...
"You got a cigarette?"
That was it.
Fight over.
Didn't matter who was right.
That's just how brothers do.

Chorus

It's the road to Brownwood
Where life slows down
He's got a good woman
Keeps his feet on the ground
She knew from the first day
Why we're thick as thieves
Now she feels like family...
That's all I'll ever need
We don't jump bonfires
Or race through the night
Now we fish
Drink beer
And laugh until daylight

Outro

Thirty years later...
He's still my brother...
He's still worth the drive.

Some folks count dollars...
Some count trophies...
Me...
I count the friends...
Worth driving to.
Hey...
Watch this...
Hold my beer.

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