Mercer Hayes

Track 2: Where the Blacktop Ends Lyrics

Got a window here

On the 30th floor

Looks out on a city

That always wants more

They call this the dream

Yeah, they call this the prize

A million little futures

In a million people's eyes

I got a brand new truck that's never seen a speck of mud

And a suit that cost more than my first real love ever made in a summer

Slinging hay in the sun

Yeah, I got it all together

For everyone

But my heart is out there

On a two-lane road

Past the last street light

Where the cell service goes

My soul is a ghost

On a fence post line

With your faded blue jeans

Tangled up in mine

This concrete kingdom

Is a gilded cage, my friend

'Cause who I'm supposed to be

Starts where the blacktop ends

I remember your laugh

Sounded just like a song

Dancing in the headlights

'Til the break of dawn

You said this town was a prison

You were built for bigger things

And I was just a fool who thought my love could give you wings

Now I see your face in every stranger on the street

In this crowded loneliness on this dead-end concrete

I traded your wild heart

For a calculated bed

And that's a damn fine bargain

That I live to regret

'Cause my heart is out there

On a two-lane road

Past the last street light

Where the cell service goes

My soul is a ghost

On a fence post line

With your faded blue jeans

Tangled up in mine

This concrete kingdom

Is a gilded cage, my friend

'Cause who I'm supposed to be

Starts where the blacktop ends

And I wonder sometimes when the rain is pouring down

Did you ever make it out of that forgotten town?

Or did you find your freedom in the dust and the weeds?

Planting deeper roots than the boy who had to leave

(ooh-ooh-ooh)

My heart is out there

On a two-lane road

Past the last street light

Where the cell service goes

My soul is a ghost

On that fence post line

Still see your faded blue jeans

Tangled up in mine

This whole damn kingdom

Is a gilded cage, my friend

'Cause the man I was supposed to be

The best part of me

Is standing where the blacktop ends

Yeah, standing where the blacktop ends

(Mmm)

Track 3: The Clock Don't Stretch Lyrics

Packed up the Model Y, kids in the back

Eight and ten with dreams in their packs

A map on the dash, there's no turning back

Chasing horizons, chasing the facts

Texas skies stretch wide and true

But the clock don't stretch no matter what you do

She's got lectures and labs and a VR lens

But bedtime stories bring her home again

Teaching through headsets where hate takes root

Fighting the shadows of digital soot

The students lean in, but her spirit is split

Mom by the evening, Professor by grit

Every paper she writes, every hand that she holds

Is a balancing act on a tightrope of goals

Texas skies stretch wide and true

But the clock don't stretch no matter what you do

She's got lectures and labs and a VR lens

But bedtime stories bring her home again

When the stars light the prairie she whispers a prayer

For the strength to be present, the courage to care

Her research cuts deep but her love sees it through

For the two little faces she's returning to

Texas skies stretch wide and true

But the clock don't stretch no matter what you do

She's got lectures and labs and a VR lens

But bedtime stories bring her home again

Yeah, the road goes on forever

But I'm home right where I am

Unpack the Model Y

Just Mom again

Just Mom again

Track 4: Blame the Broken Lyrics

Alright now... Grab a cold one. Pull her in close. Yeah, just like that. Mercer Hayes... Let's burn this floor down.

The fences are rotting, the well is running dry But nobody looks at the cloudless sky They're gathering stones by the county line Looking for a devil, looking for a sign (Stomp it out!) It's easier to hate what you don't understand Than to wash the dirt off your own two hands

Yeah, blame the broken, blame the weak (Clap, Clap, Clap - Let me hear ya!) Drown out the truth every time they speak (Slide to the left!) Find a straw man and burn him down While the real thieves are running this town It's a coward's comfort, a rich man's token To close your eyes and blame the broken (Now spin it round!)

The man on the box screams a poison song He tells you exactly where you belong He points at the shadow, he points at the stray Says "They're the reason you're hurting today" (Don't believe it!) And the crowd leans in like a moth to a flame Trading their kindness for someone to blame

Yeah, blame the broken, blame the weak (Clap, Clap, Clap - Hands up!) Drown out the truth every time they speak (Slide to the right!) Find a straw man and burn him down While the real thieves are running this town It's a coward's comfort, a rich man's token To close your eyes and blame the broken (Walk it out now!)

Yeah, keep it moving. We ain't fixin' the world tonight. We just dancin' on the cracks. Come on.

If you hold up a mirror to the angry mob You see the cracks in the paint, you see the inside job (Build it up...) We're all just sinners trying to get by But we'd rather throw stones than look in the eye (1, 2, 3, Let's Go!)

Yeah, blame the broken, blame the weak (Clap, Clap, Clap - Everybody!) Drown out the truth every time they speak (Kick, Kick, Kick!) Find a straw man and burn him down While the real thieves are running this town It's a coward's comfort, a rich man's token To close your eyes and blame the broken

Yeah, blame the broken. (Just close your eyes and dance.) It's easier that way. (Raise 'em up!) Blame the broken.

Track 5: Plastic Regret Lyrics

That click clack sound of my keyboard spree

Bought a lifetime of deals that ain't meant for me

A waffle maker

A singing fish

Oh my

They called to me

They sang my name

But now the bills

They scream in shame

Plastic regret

It cuts so deep

Bought joy I can't afford to keep

Irresistible deals

Oh they lied to me

Now I'm broke on things I'll never need

The box of candles that smell like dirt

A sweater so ugly it might just hurt

A drone I crashed before it could fly

The ads were sweet

The colors bright

But now I'm drowning in late fees tonight

Plastic regret

It cuts so deep

Bought joy I can't afford to keep

Irresistible deals

Oh they lied to me

Now I'm broke on things I'll never need

The delivery driver knows my front gate,

He shakes his head when he drops off the crate.

I'm swimming in bubble wrap, drowning in foam,

I've built a museum of junk in my home.

(I've got three espresso machines... I don't even drink coffee.)

Plastic regret

It cuts so deep

Bought joy I can't afford to keep

Irresistible deals

Oh they lied to me

Now I'm broke on things I'll never need

Yeah, I'm broke on things I'll never need.

Just a garage full of bargains... and a mountain of greed.

(Wait... is that free shipping?)

(Click...)

Oh no. Not again.

Track 6: For the Good of Us Lyrics

Packed up the boxes, left the old oak floor,

The porch swing's still hangin', but it ain't ours no more.

Friends waved goodbye from the gravel drive,

I held back the tears, told myself, "We'll be fine."

But the echoes of laughter, they don't fade fast,

I wonder how long this homesick heart can last.

For the good of us, I'll take the fall,

I'll leave my dreams behind, give it my all.

Though I'm losing ground, I'm gaining trust,

I'd move the mountains, for the good of us.

Your eyes lit up when the offer came,

I saw your passion burning like a wild flame.

I left the ladder I'd climbed so high,

For a chance at a new life, under a different sky.

Now the clock rewinds, I'm starting fresh,

But your smile reminds me, this ain't regret.

For the good of us, I'll take the fall,

I'll leave my dreams behind, give it my all.

Though I'm losing ground, I'm gaining trust,

I'd move the mountains, for the good of us.

Track 7: Water Tower Weather Lyrics

The mercury is climbin' on the bank clock wall

Waitin' on the whistle of a football call

Dust on the dashboard, windows rolled down

Just another summer in a flyover town

We don't have oceans, we don't have peaks

Just miles of corn and the dried-up creeks

It's water tower weather, clear and blue

A silver giant watchin' over me and you

Castin' long shadows on the Main Street lights

Keepin' our secrets on the humid nights

Yeah, the world keeps spinning, but we're standing still

Underneath the rust on the highest hill

Old man Miller's painting over the tag

"Class of '99" holding a paper bag

We swore we'd leave the minute we could drive

But something 'bout this heat makes you feel alive

It burns the ambition right out of your bones

Till you find a comfort in the gravel and stones

It's water tower weather, clear and blue

A silver giant watchin' over me and you

Castin' long shadows on the Main Street lights

Keepin' our secrets on the humid nights

Yeah, the world keeps spinning, but we're standing still

Underneath the rust on the highest hill

You can see it from the highway ten miles out

A beacon for the lost and the full of doubt

It says "You're almost home, boys, kill the engine"

It's the only skyline that we're ever gonna win

Yeah, we're standing still.

On the highest hill.

(One, two, three, four!)

It's water tower weather, clear and blue

A silver giant watchin' over me and you

Castin' long shadows on the Main Street lights

Keepin' our secrets on the humid nights

Yeah, the world keeps spinning, but we're standing still

Underneath the rust on the highest hill

Yeah, underneath the rust.

That silver giant.

Water tower weather.

(Watchin' over me and you)

Yeah, it's water tower weather.

Track 8: Read Receipts and Regret Lyrics

We were fire in a bottle, we were Saturday night

Singin' off-key Bon Jovi in your dashboard light

You were stealin' my ball cap, I was tracin' your hand

Felt like I was finally a part of a plan

We were sharin' Spotify playlists and inside jokes

Felt more real than anything my heart had ever poked

Then the sun came up Sunday, you kissed me and you said"Talk soon" yeah, that's what you said

But you left me on read receipts and regret

Two little blue checkmarks I'll never forget

It ain't the whiskey that's burnin' my chest

It's the ghost in my pocket that you put to the test

You didn't have the decency for a goodbye yet

You just left me on read receipts and regret

Now I'm overanalyzin' every word that we spent

Was it the meme that I sent ya? Was it somethin' 'bout the rent?

Did I come on too strong? Did I not come on enough?

This modern kind of heartbreak is ridiculously tough

'Cause my mind is a jury, and I'm the one on trial

For a crime with no witness, just your digital smile

Fadin' slower than a sunset on my screen's bright glare

Just a notification hangin' in the air

And you left me on read receipts and regret

Two little blue checkmarks I'll never forget

It ain't the whiskey that's burnin' my chest

It's the ghost in my pocket that you put to the test

You didn't have the decency for a goodbye yet

You just left me on read receipts and regret

My granddaddy's breakups came with slammin' screen doors

Tear-stained letters and"I don't love you anymores"

There was a note on the table, or a midnight train's sound

At least you knew for certain they weren't comin' back 'round

Yeah, you left me on read receipts and regret

The most deafening silence I've ever met

It ain't the whiskey that's burnin' my chest

It's the"seen at 9:30" that I'll never put to rest

You didn't need a single word for the message to be set

You just left me on read receipts and regret

Yeah, read receipts and regret

Damn

Two little blue ticks.. and that's it.

Track 9: A Stranger's Son Lyrics

We were fire in a bottle, we were Saturday night

Singin' off-key Bon Jovi in your dashboard light

You were stealin' my ball cap, I was tracin' your hand

Felt like I was finally a part of a plan

We were sharin' Spotify playlists and inside jokes

Felt more real than anything my heart had ever poked

Then the sun came up Sunday, you kissed me and you said"Talk soon" yeah, that's what you said

But you left me on read receipts and regret

Two little blue checkmarks I'll never forget

It ain't the whiskey that's burnin' my chest

It's the ghost in my pocket that you put to the test

You didn't have the decency for a goodbye yet

You just left me on read receipts and regret

Now I'm overanalyzin' every word that we spent

Was it the meme that I sent ya? Was it somethin' 'bout the rent?

Did I come on too strong? Did I not come on enough?

This modern kind of heartbreak is ridiculously tough

'Cause my mind is a jury, and I'm the one on trial

For a crime with no witness, just your digital smile

Fadin' slower than a sunset on my screen's bright glare

Just a notification hangin' in the air

And you left me on read receipts and regret

Two little blue checkmarks I'll never forget

It ain't the whiskey that's burnin' my chest

It's the ghost in my pocket that you put to the test

You didn't have the decency for a goodbye yet

You just left me on read receipts and regret

My granddaddy's breakups came with slammin' screen doors

Tear-stained letters and"I don't love you anymores"

There was a note on the table, or a midnight train's sound

At least you knew for certain they weren't comin' back 'round

Yeah, you left me on read receipts and regret

The most deafening silence I've ever met

It ain't the whiskey that's burnin' my chest

It's the"seen at 9:30" that I'll never put to rest

You didn't need a single word for the message to be set

You just left me on read receipts and regret

Yeah, read receipts and regret

Damn

Two little blue ticks.. and that's it.

Track 10: Screen Door Ghost Lyrics

The screen door snaps like a rifle shot

Every time it swings

It's a memory I've got

The porch light hums but it don't shine right

Not since you walked out

Into that night

Your laugh's in the creak of the wooden floor

Your shadow's leaning on the kitchen door

You're the screen door ghost

Haunting this place

Every slam and rattle

I see your face

You're the wind in the pines

That chill in my bones

I can't escape you

This house ain't my own

The kettle screams when the morning's still

Like it's mourning you

Like it always will

Your perfume's tangled in the summer breeze

It clings to the curtains

It won't let me be

Your voice in the rattle of the old AC

Whispering secrets it won't set me free

You're the screen door ghost

Haunting this place

Every slam and rattle

I see your face

You're the wind in the pines

That chill in my bones

I can't escape you

This house ain't my own

You're the screen door ghost

Haunting this place

Every slam and rattle

I see your face

You're the wind in the pines

That chill in my bones

I can't escape you

This house ain't my own

Track 11: Feathers in the Wind Lyrics

They stitch the sky with threads of fear

A patchwork quilt to hide the clear

The stars still shine beneath the seams

But no one looks

No one dreams

Whose hands decide what colors fade

What hues are right

Which ones betray

Feathers in the wind

They fall

They rise

Chased by shadows

Framed by lies

What if wings were meant to bend

Why must they break what they don't comprehend

They carve the river

Make it straight

But waters twist

They shift their weight

The mountains hum a tune untamed

Yet silence screams the loudest blame

Who pens the script

Who casts the play

And who decides what truths must stay

Feathers in the wind

They fall

They rise

Chased by shadows

Framed by lies

What if wings were meant to bend

Why must they break what they don't comprehend

Track 12: The Gentle Storm Lyrics

I hear the tremble in your quiet sigh

Shadows linger where your heart should fly

I'm standing here with fists unclenched

Watching you fight a war in the trench

I don't need to win

I just need to see

How to be the calm, the shore, the sea

I'll be the gentle storm

No thunder, no rage, just rain to keep you warm

I'll be the quiet wave

Rolling soft and low to show you you're safe

I'll be the gentle storm

The past is a door that never quite locks

Every creak pulls your eyes back to the clocks

But I'm here now, no ticking sound

Just steady love to hold you down

I don't need to fight

I just need to stay

To light the dark and clear the way

I'll be the gentle storm

No thunder, no rage, just rain to keep you warm

I'll be the quiet wave

Rolling soft and low to show you you're safe

I'll be the gentle storm

Let the world spin fast and loud outside

In these arms, there's nowhere you need to hide

Let the tears fall down, let the rivers run

I'll be the shelter 'til the rising sun

Yeah, 'til the work is done

I'll be the gentle storm

No thunder, no rage, just rain to keep you warm

I'll be the quiet wave

Rolling soft and low to show you you're safe

I'll be the gentle storm

Yeah, just rain to keep you warm.

Let it wash away the hurt.

Let it water the earth.

I'm right here.

I'll be the gentle storm.

Track 13: The Man He Might've Been Lyrics

There's a sink full of dishes, a bed never made

The TV hums softly, filling empty space

Dust on the window, where sunlight used to pour

This house held a family, now it don't anymore

And he wonders in the quiet,

Where the noise has all gone

If he'd been a different man,

Would they still call this home?

Was it the shadows in his mind,

That wore them all thin?

Or was he always bound to be

The man he might've been?

The walls tell a story, in chipped paint and cracks

Of laughter and shouting, that don't echo back

A photo's still hanging, of his boys on the lawn

He stares at it often, till the daylight is gone

He sees their faces in his dreams

But they vanish with the morning beams

And he wonders in the quiet,

Where the noise has all gone

If he'd been a different man,

Would they still call this home?

Was it the shadows in his mind,

That wore them all thin?

Or was he always bound to be

The man he might've been?

The pills on the counter, they've piled up in vain

A thousand prescriptions, can't medicate the pain

He blames himself, though he can't explain

Why love slips away, like water down the drain

The silence is heavy.

The silence is loud.

It's the only company allowed.

And he wonders in the quiet,

Where the noise has all gone

If he'd been a different man,

Would they still call this home?

Was it the shadows in his mind,

That wore them all thin?

Or was he always bound to be

The man he might've been?

Yeah, the man he might've been.

The father he should've been.

He wonders...

He wonders...

Track 14: Electric Rodeo Lyrics

He used to roll with a truck so wide

Mud on the tires and a dog inside

But the diesel signs, they made him cry

He traded the pump for an overnight supply

Now he plugs it in where the horse was tied

Whoa-oh

It's an Electric Rodeo

He's trading his boots for a high voltage flow

No more exhaust, no more roar

He's the quickest draw with wings for a door

Ridin' the lightning, watch him go

In his Electric Rodeo

Out on the range, it don't make a sound

Creepin' on cattle without touchin' the ground

The coyotes listen but they can't hear a thing

Just the rubber on rock and a digital ping

He's roping the wind with a satellite wing

[Pre-Chorus]

The saddle is gone, but the seat heats up

No more spillin' that coffee cup

Whoa-oh

It's an Electric Rodeo

He's trading his boots for a high voltage flow

No more exhaust, no more roar

He's the quickest draw with wings for a door

Ridin' the lightning, watch him go

In his Electric Rodeo

Autopilot through the canyon's bend

Humming low like the prairie wind

He's got a touch-screen dash and a camo skin

Still a cowboy, baby, through thick and thin

(Yeah, charge it up!)

Whoa-oh

It's an Electric Rodeo

He's trading his boots for a high voltage flow

No more exhaust, no more roar

He's the quickest draw with wings for a door

Ridin' the lightning, watch him go

In his Electric Rodeo

Yeah, rollin' silent.

Sneakin' up on the herd.

0 to 60 in a heartbeat.

Yee-haw.

Dang it.

Track 15: The Last Word Lyrics

The storm blew out an hour ago, but there's a new one in this house

Just a low pressure quiet and the sins of my own mouth

The TV's off, the kitchen light is burnin' tired and low

And your car's been gone so long the driveway's half-covered in snow

I trace a crack that's runnin' from the ceiling to the floor

Didn't even know it was there before

Just another broken thing I never got around to fix

Another casualty of angry politics

'Cause sticks and stones are a damn lie, they don't hurt half as bad

As the poison in the echo of the last word that you had

I can't take it back, can't unsay the knife

Now it's just me and the static for the rest of my life

You can patch a hole in the drywall, you can sweep the shattered glass

But some storms make a wreckage that is built to last

And the loudest thing I hear now, in this awful quiet dread

Is the thunder of the last word that I said

I think I saw you pack a bag, a blur of red and black

You were movin' like a stranger who was never comin' back

My pride was just a fortress, my anger was a wall

So tall I couldn't see you were about to lose it all

I was aimin' for the weak spots, you were swingin' for the chin

We were two fighters lookin' for a fight we couldn't win

Now the battle's over, and the only prize I own

Is the right to be the king of this empty home

'Cause sticks and stones are a damn lie, they don't hurt half as bad

As the poison in the echo of the last word that you had

I can't take it back, can't unsay the knife

Now it's just me and the static for the rest of my life

You can patch a hole in the drywall, you can sweep the shattered glass

But some storms make a wreckage that is built to last

And the loudest thing I hear now, in this awful quiet dread

Is the thunder of the last word that I said

Silence is supposed to be peaceful, it's supposed to be calm

But this quiet is a weapon, it's a ticking bomb

And I'd take a thousand hurricanes, I'd take the wind and rain

Over the sound of your name hangin' in the air with all this pain

Sticks and stones are a damn lie, they don't hurt half as bad

As the poison in the echo of the last word that we had

I can't take it back, can't unsay the knife

It's just me and the static for the rest of my life

You can patch the hole in the drywall, you can sweep the shattered glass

But we made a wreckage that was built to last

And the only thing I hear now, layin' in this empty bed

Is the thunder of the last word.. the last word that I said

The last word I said..

Track 16: Blame the Broken (Unplugged) Lyrics

The fences are rotting, the well is running dry

But nobody looks at the cloudless sky

They're gathering stones by the county line

Looking for a devil, looking for a sign

It's easier to hate what you don't understand

Than to wash the dirt off your own two hands

Yeah, blame the broken, blame the weak

Drown out the truth every time they speak

Find a straw man and burn him down

While the real thieves are running this town

It's a coward's comfort, a rich man's token

To close your eyes and blame the broken

The man on the box screams a poison song

He tells you exactly where you belong

He points at the shadow, he points at the stray

Says "They're the reason you're hurting today"

And the crowd leans in like a moth to a flame

Trading their kindness for someone to blame

Yeah, blame the broken, blame the weak

Drown out the truth every time they speak

Find a straw man and burn him down

While the real thieves are running this town

It's a coward's comfort, a rich man's token

To close your eyes and blame the broken

If you hold up a mirror to the angry mob

You see the cracks in the paint, you see the inside job

We're all just sinners trying to get by

But we'd rather throw stones than look in the eye

Yeah, blame the broken, blame the weak

Drown out the truth every time they speak

Find a straw man and burn him down

While the real thieves are running this town

It's a coward's comfort, a rich man's token

To close your eyes and blame the broken

Yeah, blame the broken.

Just close your eyes.

It's easier that way.

Blame the broken.

Blame the Broken

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