Dust on the Dash

Intro

There's a half-full tank and a county line,

A cracked windshield and a little more time.

My old truck knows where the back roads bend,

But it don't know where a broken man begins.

Verse 1

I fixed the gate where the wild grass grew,

Replaced those boards that were coming loose.

Put fresh paint on the bedroom door,

Moved that box of pictures to the garage floor.

The neighbor asked if I'd been doing fine,

I said, "Just busy," and he bought the line.

Funny how a man can work all day,

Just to keep his thoughts from getting in the way.

Pre-Chorus

I've got two good hands,

I've got boots that hold,

I've got bills to pay

And a heart gone cold.

But when the sun drops past the water tower,

I find out what you can't fix in an hour.

Chorus

There's dust on the dash, your name in the cracks,

A mile of road and a town at my back.

I'm learning to stand where we used to fall,

Trying to build a life that belongs to me at all.

I can mend that fence, I can change that tire,

I can sleep alone without cursing the night.

But a man ain't healed just because he lasts,

And I still see you through the dust on the dash.

Verse 2

I took that job down at Miller's place,

Learned to meet the morning without your face.

Bought a second coffee out of old routine,

Then laughed at myself when I saw what I'd done.

There's a Sunday dance by the county fair,

A girl in a blue dress caught my stare.

She smiled like summer, I looked away,

Not every open door means you're ready to stay.

Pre-Chorus

I've got new plans

Pinned beside the phone,

A list of things

I'm doing on my own.

But a fresh start ain't a brand-new skin,

Sometimes the hardest road runs under your ribs.

Chorus

There's dust on the dash, your name in the cracks,

A mile of road and a town at my back.

I'm learning to stand where we used to fall,

Trying to build a life that belongs to me at all.

I can mend that fence, I can change that tire,

I can sleep alone without cursing the night.

But a man ain't healed just because he lasts,

And I still see you through the dust on the dash.

Bridge

Maybe I made you carry too much,

Maybe I called it strength when I wouldn't open up.

Maybe you got tired of waiting on a change

I kept promising would come someday.

I can't rewrite the years we spent,

Can't call a goodbye an accident.

But if I ever love again, I'll know

A good heart needs more than a place called home.

Final Chorus

There's dust on the dash, but the road runs clear,

I'm done letting yesterday steer.

I'll learn to stand where I used to fall,

Build a life that's mine, even if it's small.

I'll mend that fence, I'll change that tire,

Let the cold wind pass, let the days turn brighter.

I ain't the man who walked out of our past,

But I'm still becoming him, mile by mile at last.

Outro — Acoustic guitar

There's a half-full tank and a county line,

A little less anger, a little more time.

I turn the key, let the old engine catch,

And leave one more mile in the dust on the dash.