Shadows Crossing by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Shadows Crossing

Unstoppable Light by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Unstoppable Light

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest Special Mention

The Whisperer of Reeds by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

The Whisperer of Reeds

In the stillness of the twilight, where the shadows softly creep,
A tale of the Whisperer stirs from the depths of sleep.
Like desert reeds she sways gently beneath the silver glow,
Her voice a whispered prophecy, a truth few ever know.

With hair like the golden wheat, and eyes that reflect the skies,
A guardian of the secrets that the wild wind only sighs.
She walks through gentle valleys, where the river bends and sways,
While the nightingale sings her songs of love and of the days.

Oh, call her the Whisperer, in her arms the world is still,
She breathes the ancient stories, of the forest, field, and hill.
Hushed tones of nature’s melody fill the air with grace,
As she dances with the moonlight in this sacred, timeless place.

With every sway and every turn, she feels the echoes of time,
Not the steel and fire calling out in a distant chime.
While dark clouds gather ’bove her and tempests clash and burn,
Still she whispers to the grasses, for the world will yet return.

In her heart the winds are howling, in her soul the thunder speaks,
But the gentleness of nature flows through her like river creeks.
Though shadows can be daunting, and the night may seem to reign,
She stands firm, the Whisperer, through the joy and through the pain.

Her kin may feel the tremors of the chaos drawing near,
Yet she listens to the stories that the ancient spirits hear.
In the flicker of the starlight, she can see the paths unfold,
A future painted bright with hope, amidst the tales grown old.

Oh, call her the Whisperer, in her arms the world is still,
She breathes the ancient stories, of the forest, field, and hill.
Hushed tones of nature’s melody fill the air with grace,
As she dances with the moonlight in this sacred, timeless place.

As the dawn approaches, casting gold upon her face,
She embraces all the moments, in this delicate embrace.
For like the reeds that sway and bend, she knows the strength of grace,
And though the steel and fire may come to take her kin,
The whispers of the reeds will always carry hearts within.

So sing, oh Whisperer, in your hushed and gentle tone,
For the tales of yesterday shall never stand alone.
In the echo of the shadows, in the light of morning’s glow,
May your wisdom guide the way, where the desert reeds do flow.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Whisperer of Reeds (duet)

Echoes in the Hall by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Echoes in the Hall

No laughter climbs the stairs tonight,
No laughter climbs the stairs.

The empty cradle rocks,
Dying embers in the hearth.
Moonlight stains broken walls,
Uncertain memories recalled.

We are the breath beneath the door,
The watch that never sleeps.
Echoes, echoes along the hall,
The sound of footsteps as we weep.

The gate is cold, the banners cry,
Their names still drift through ash and sky.
Only we remain, a final stand,
To guard the spring, to guard the land.

O stones remember, O walls recall,
Ghosts and mothers, one and all.
Night shall rise, we shall not fall,
Echoes live within the hall.

We are the breath beneath the door,
The watch that never sleeps.
Echoes, echoes along the hall,
The sound of footsteps as we weep.

Still we guard the empty hall.
Echoes... echoes...
The empty hall...

Echoes in the Hall

Light the Sky by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Light The Sky (remix)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest  Highly Commended 

What Remains of Me by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

What Remains of Me

The echo remains now you're gone,
An empty room, the same old song.
I kept your shadow on the wall,
Till I learned it meant nothing at all.

No more ghosts breathe on my skin —
I breathe out, and light breathes in.

What remains of me still stands,
Holding fire in both hands.
I was drowning in your sea,
Now I rise — it's what remains of me.

Your name still rings through the city square
But I don’t flinch — I just don't care.
The truth can cut, but always heals.
You no longer tell me how to feel.

The pieces fit, imperfect but free —
More than enough, it's what’s left of me.

What remains of me still stands,
Holding fire in both hands.
I was drowning in your sea,
Now I rise — it's what remains of me.

I won’t curse the love that fell,
It taught me how to break the spell.

What remains of me still stands,
Holding fire in both hands.
I was drowning in your sea,
Now I rise — it's what remains of me.

No more doubts, no more pleas,
I am here…
What remains of me.

What remains of me still stands,
Holding fire in both hands.
I was drowning in your sea,
Now I rise — it's what remains of me.

This is what remains of me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What Remains of Me

Breathe with Me by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Breathe with Me

The air is gold, the night still hums,
The crowd is moving, heartbeat drums.
I close my eyes, the world dissolves,
The rhythm pulls, the dark evolves.

Feel it rising, skin to flame,
Every breath, we lose our name.
No control, no gravity,
Just this light between you and me.

Breathe with me — let it go,
Feel the current, let it flow.
Breathe with me — endlessly,
We are sound, we are free.

Sweat and stars on ocean skin,
The bassline speaks from deep within.
Every soul a pulse of fire,
Together caught in something higher.

The sky ignites, the dawn arrives,
We’re the spark that keeps it alive.
No beginning, no decree,
Just forever, endlessly.

Breathe with me — let it go,
Feel the current, let it flow.
Breathe with me — endlessly,
We are sound, we are free.

Close your eyes…
Hear the waves inside your chest.
We are light…
We are everything that’s left.

Breathe with me — let it go,
We’re the rhythm, we’re the glow.
Breathe with me — endlessly,
We are sound, we are free.

Breathe with me…
We are free.

Breathe with me...

Breathe With Me

Too Late to Say I’m Sorry by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Too Late to Say I’m Sorry

Drove past your house on Cedar Lane,
Porch light’s off, but I called your name.
I still hear your voice in the midnight rain,
Sayin’, “Love don’t fade — but time sure can.”

It’s too late to say I’m sorry,
Too late to turn back time.
The words I left unspoken
Are the ones that haunt my mind.
If heaven hears confession,
Maybe you’ll forgive me someday —
But it’s too late,
Too late to say I’m sorry today.

Found your letters in a box of mine,
Faded ink from a gentler time.
You waited on a call that never came,
While I chased pride and carried shame.

It’s too late to say I’m sorry,
Too late to turn back time.
The words I left unspoken
Are the ones that haunt my mind.
If heaven hears confession,
Maybe you’ll forgive me someday —
But it’s too late,
Too late to say I’m sorry today.

They say you left this world in peace,
But that don’t set my heart at ease.
If I could trade one breath for grace,
I’d whisper your name face to face.

It’s too late to say I’m sorry,
But I’ll still pray tonight —
That angels read this broken heart
And set our wrongs to right.
If heaven takes forgiveness
In the words I didn’t say —
Then maybe one day,
You’ll know I’m sorry anyway.

Too Late to Say I’m Sorry

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest Semi Finalist

I Found Me Again by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I walked through the silence inside my mind,
Spoke to the demons I left behind.
Promises cracked like glass in my hands,
But I learned to breathe where I used to stand.

You can’t bury flames when they start to glow,
You can’t steal the life from the soul below.

I found me again — in the dark where I hid my face,
I’m not who I was, I’ve found my place.
Every wall I broke became my friend,
I found me again.

Your words were the chains I carried too long,
Now cast aside where they belong.
You called me broken, but I was being brave,
Rising from the ashes I was able to save.

You can’t silence a heart when it starts to sing,
You can’t cage the truth — it will spread its wings.

I found me again — in the fire I used to fear,
The voice that was lost is now loud and clear.
Every wound I healed became my friend,
I found me again.

No apology could ever change my name,
The past is gone — I’m not the same.
I've found me again...

I found me again — where the light meets the rain,
Every heartbeat sings my name.
I’ve come too far to fade again —
I found me again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Found Me Again

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest Semi Finalist (Country category)

Halfway Home by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs


There’s a rusty sign on Highway Nine,
The letters fade like our last goodbye.
Stopped for gas and a cheap black coffee,
Swear I heard you speakin' softly.

There’s that diner off the county road,
Same red stools, same jukebox glows.
I still sit where you used to lean,
The memories flooding back like in a dream

The past keeps hummin’ like that county fair,
Like a voice sayin’, you’re still there.

We’re halfway home, halfway right,
Half a promise under neon light.
If love’s a flame, we’ve kept the glow,
Smoulderin’ slow where wild cactus grows.
Maybe it's all these empty roads
We're on our way to halfway home.

I took the bridge past river bend,
Where we swore we’d meet again.
Your old Ford’s parked by the harbour rail,
Raindrops singin’ on the tailgate trail.

I don’t need forever tonight,
Just your hand in the dashboard light.
If forgiveness is a place we roam,
We’re almost there — we’re halfway home.

We’re halfway home, halfway right,
Half a dream on a rain-soaked night.
If every wrong can lead us home,
Then I’ll meet you there — halfway home.

Yeah, halfway home…



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Halfway Home (duet)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest  Semi Finalist (Country and Adult Contemporary categories)

I Don’t Wanna Lose You by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I've been walkin' 'round in circles. 
Chasin' memories on the floor. 
Trying not to light a wildfire 
with the truth I can't ignore. 
Every word becomes a landslide. 
Every thought reminds me I'm to blame. 
So I'm holding back the thunder 
'cause I'm scared to speak your name. 

I keep thinkin' maybe silence says enough on its own. 
But every breath just reminds me how it feels to stand alone. 

I don't wanna lose you. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
So I'm choosin' every word with care. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
When the truth hangs heavy in the air, 
I don't wanna lose you. 
I don't wanna lose you. 

You've been waitin' on an answer, 
but my pride won't let it through. 
Every doubt becomes an anchor 
when I'm reachin' out to you. 
There's a truth I keep avoidin'. 
There's a storm I can't outrun. 
And the closer that I get there feels the further that I come. 
And I don't know if you hear me when I barely make a sound. 
But I'm trying not to lose you every time the walls come down. 

I don't wanna lose you. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
So I'm choosin' every word with care. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
When the truth hangs heavy in the air, 
I don't wanna lose you.
I don't wanna lose you.

I've been breaking in the silence, 
I've been drowning in the fear. 
But I can't watch us fall to pieces, 
while you're standing right here. 
If I lose you in the moment, 
if I lose you in the fight. 
Then I give up every heartbeat, 
just to make it right tonight. 

I need you to hear me now. 
I need you to hear me now. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
We've been down this road before. 
I don't wanna lose you. 
I don't wanna lose you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Don't Wanna Lose You

All In or I’m Out by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

All In or I’m Out

Teddy Bear by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Teddy Bear

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest Commended 

Nightmares Always Win by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

https://youtu.be/Chz2TYO7XpY?si=SnjyMvAEP0f_MrXf

Nightmares Always Win

Late at night when the shadows breathe,
Something’s creeping at the edge of the screen.
Could be a film I watched at half-past two,
Or the ghosts of things I thought I outgrew.

Close my eyes and I’m falling fast,
Into stories where the danger lasts.
But the curtain lifts when the light breaks in—
Still I swear that I felt cold hands on my skin…

But every fear is only borrowed,
Gone by sunrise, gone tomorrow.
Still they chase me, whispering,
“Try to run… Nightmares always win!”

Nightmares always win—
Till I turn the lights on.
Till I face the monsters
And I prove that they’re wrong.
Nightmares always win—
Till the morning breaks through.
But they fade like smoke
When I stand and push back at the truth.
Nightmares always win…
Until I win too.

Walking streets I thought I knew,
But the daylight flickers—now the sky’s gone blue.
What if dreams became real everywhere?
What if all my fears decided to play out there?

I’m wide awake but the shadows grow,
Faces rising from the undergrowth.
Every heartbeat’s pounding like a drum within—
Feels like midnight found a way to pull me back in…

But every fear is only borrowed,
Gone by sunrise, gone tomorrow.
Still they chase me, whispering,
“Try to run… Nightmares always win!”

Nightmares always win—
Till I turn the lights on.
Till I face the monsters
And I prove that they’re wrong.
Nightmares always win—
Till the morning breaks through.
But they fade like smoke
When I stand and push back at the truth.
Nightmares always win…
Until I win too.

You hear that?
Footsteps limping up the hall…
Shadows scratching on the wall…
But fear’s a trick, a midnight sin —
And nightmares only win
If you let them in.

Nightmares always win—
Till I turn the lights on.
Every demon falters
When the fear is long gone.
Nightmares always win—
Till the morning breaks through.
Nightmares always win…
Until I win too.

They vanish with the dawn,
Yeah, they vanish with the dawn…
Nightmares always win—
Until I switch the light back on.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nightmares Always Win

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest Highly Commended (Love Songs category)

This is Not Love by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

It’s midnight in the kitchen, and the coffee’s gone cold,
Your coat’s on the back of the chair like a story we never told.
I’m staring at the floor where our shadows used to fall,
Wondering when the space between us
Turned into a wall.

Your silence fills the room like a radio out of tune,
I keep trying to fix the static,
But the song just won’t resume.

’Cause this is not love—
It’s a habit we kept holding.
Two hands on a rope that’s slowly unfolding.
You call it forever, but we barely show up.
If this is all we’ve got,
Then this is not love.

Streetlights paint the curtains with the colour of our doubt,
We talk in measured moments, terrified to shout.
I used to think your needing me meant I was enough—
But being needed isn’t being wanted,
And that truth is tough.

I whisper to the mirror, “You can let this go,”
’Cause staying for the memories
Is the hardest “no” I know.

’Cause this is not love—
It’s a promise we keep faking.
Two hearts in a bed that’s always shaking.
You call it forever, but we barely show up.
If this is all we’ve got,
Then this is not love.

I stayed because the quiet scared me more than the pain,
I thought passion was the thunder
Hidden inside the rain.
But now I see the sunrise on the cases by the door—
I’m walking out to find a heart
That won’t make me feel unsure.

’Cause this is not love—
And I’m done pretending.
I’m choosing the truth, even if it’s an ending.
You call it forever, but we never showed up.
’Cause this is not love.
No, this is not love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is Not Love

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ UK Songwriting Contest Highly Commended 

Unbreakable Pulse by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Unbreakable Pulse

I was quiet for too long,
Played it safe, bit my tongue,
Now the mirror shows a stranger
Who’s tired of playing dumb.
You tried to write my story
In invisible ink,
But I learned how to see
What you hoped I wouldn’t think.

Now my heart’s in stereo,
Beating louder than the fear,
I’m done with fading slow —
The future starts right here.

 I’ve got that unbreakable pulse,
Running wild through the cracks and walls.
Every scar’s just proof I’m alive —
You can’t dim what refuses to fall.
Unbreakable pulse, unbreakable pulse.

Used to dance around the fire,
Just to feel a bit of heat,
Now I’m walking through the flames
Like they’re cobblestones beneath my feet.
Every “no” became a spark,
Every doubt — a neon sign,
I’m the thunder in the dark
That says the storm is mine.

No more shadows at my back,
I’m electric in my skin,
I’m the comeback you can’t track —
Watch the revolution begin.

I’ve got that unbreakable pulse,
Running wild through the wires and walls.
Every scar’s just proof I’m alive —
You can’t dim what refuses to fall.
Unbreakable pulse, unbreakable pulse.

You said I’d fade out quietly,
But you tuned into my frequency —
Every beat’s a battle cry
For the girl who refused to die.

I’ve got that unbreakable pulse,
Feel it rise as the lights explode.
Every scar’s a crown that I wear —
You can’t break what’s stronger than hope.
Unbreakable pulse… unbreakable pulse!

Keep it beating, beating slow —
Unbreakable… pulse.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unbreakable Pulse

Phantom Fading by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Flicker of lights on a hollow stage
Fading screams from a younger age
The ghosts of his glory still haunt the air
Now no one remembers or pretends to care

Once a king in white hot flame
What remains is a fading name

A ghost stumbling through his own ruins
Once golden he's now lost in illusion
He was bright, now burning fast
He won’t make it, he won’t last
A phantom fading in his own past.

Whispers of awe turned to weary sighs
The world is tired of his empty cries
“He won’t make it to thirty" they coldly say
While he destroys another day

Both ends lit
The candle bends
No beginning no amends

A ghost stumbling through his own ruins
Once golden he's now lost in illusion
He was bright, now burning fast
He won’t make it, he won’t last
A phantom fading in his own past.

Phantom Fading

Light on the Pavement by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I take the long way home again,
Past the windows glowing gold.
People laugh in little rooms,
And I feel half young, half old.
Your memory’s still beside me,
Like a coat I used to wear—
I hang it on the evening
And pretend it isn’t there.

But the air feels lighter
Than it did this time last year,
And every streetlamp flicker
Says I’m still standing here.

So I walk on,
Light on the pavement,
Heart rearrangin’
The shape of your name.
And I breathe in
All that I’m savin’,
Losing you slowly,
Finding myself again.
I’m not broken—
Just a little changed.

I thought the nights would drown me
In the remains of goodbye,
But silence grew around me
Like a clearing open sky.
You were all my constellations—
Now the stars feel wide and new.
Funny how the quiet
Teaches things I never knew.

And the world moves faster
Than the weight you left behind,
But every step gets softer
When I choose to make it mine.

So I walk on,
Light on the pavement,
Heart rearrangin’
The shape of your name.
And I breathe in
All that I’m savin’,
Losing you slowly,
Finding myself again.
I’m not broken—
Just a little changed.

Maybe love is something
That the leaving clarifies—
I can miss you in the morning
And still meet the sunrise.

So I walk on,
Light on the pavement,
Heart rearrangin’
The shape of your name.
And I breathe in
All that I’m savin’,
Losing you slowly,
Finding myself again.
I’m not broken—
Just a little changed.

Light on the Pavement

Silver Rain by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

This is the time of silver rain,
That falls at dawn when the world is grey.
The sun has given up on us,
The grass no longer grows in mud.
A single flower bows its head,
Morning comes and we’re not yet dead.

After another fitful sleep
The cold of day makes proud men weep

But still we pray, for we believe,
One day we’ll learn again to dream,
We’ll dream a dream of silver rain,
A dawn chorus will be arranged,
In the ice cold silver rain.
We’ll wash our sins and tears away.
In the time of silver rain,
There will be peace and love again.

The silver rain falls down on us
It always has and always would
The silver rain stays the same
What we do is what needs to change

For still we pray and we believe
We’ll sleep one day and learn again to dream
We’ll dream a dream of silver rain
A dawn chorus will be arranged
In the time of silver rain 
I’ll wash my sins and tears away
In the time of silver rain
We’ll find peace and love again

Silver Rain

The Tide Takes Me Back by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

You move like a storm on the water,
Quiet but pulling me under.
I swore I’d never drift back to your waves,
But here I am, shaking like thunder.

Your shadow moves slow on my skin,
A warning I never quite heed.
Every time I think I’m out of the deep,
You change the current I breathe.

I feel you rising, rising,
Like a ghost in the break of dawn.
I try to fight it, fight it—
But the pull is already strong.

And the tide takes me back to you,
Even when I swear I’m through.
You’re the ocean I keep falling into,
Blue and wild and cruel.
Oh, the tide takes me back to you—
What am I supposed to do?
You’re the storm I was never meant to out-run,
But I run straight to you.

I trace every truth in the salt air,
Promises drowned in the foam.
You’re danger dressed up in a whisper,
And somehow it feels like home.

I know how the story will end—
You leave me washed on the shore.
Still, I dive in again and again,
Hoping you’ll want something more.

I feel you rising, rising,
Like a secret I can’t let go.
Try to deny it, deny it—
But you already pull me below.

And the tide takes me back to you,
Even when I swear I’m through.
You’re the ocean I keep falling into,
Blue and wild and cruel.
Oh, the tide takes me back to you—
What am I supposed to do?
You’re the storm I was never meant to out-run,
But I run straight to you.

Maybe one day the waves will break
And leave me somewhere safe.
But tonight your voice is calling me—
And I go willingly,
Lost in your undertow.

’Cause the tide takes me back to you,
Pulling me like it always do.
I’m a sailor with no compass, no truth,
Just the ache of wanting you.
Oh, the tide takes me back to you—
Tell me, what am I supposed to do?
You’re the storm I was never meant to out-run,
But I run straight to you.


The Tide Takes Me Back

Kickin’ Up a Good Thing by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Saw you standin’ by the jukebox glow,
Boots crossed, just like the star of the show.
You tossed me that grin with a little bit o’ dare,
Said, “If you wanna dance, boy, meet me out there.”
Well, who am I to argue with a look like that?
Your rhythm hit my chest like a baseball bat.

I stepped in close, you pulled me tight,
And suddenly the world felt right—
Yeah, everything clicked tonight—

’Cause we’re kickin’ up a good thing, baby,
Spinnin’ on the floor like the wind on the daisies.
Kickin’ up a good thing, maybe
This little two-step’s ‘bout to drive me crazy.
You turn, I follow — girl, you’re smooth as a breeze,
Movin’ like you’re born to put a man on his knees.
Yeah, we’re kickin’ up a good thing, baby—
Kickin’ up a good thing, maybe.

The band keeps pumpin’ that rockin’ beat,
Boot heels tappin’ like a thousand feet.
You slide to the left, take my hand in yours,
Laughin’ like we’ve danced here many times before,
Your hair swings loose with every turn we make,
And darlin’, I swear my heart’s about to break—

’Cause girl, when you lean in just right,
I swear you light the whole damn night—
And I’m holdin’ on good and tight—

We’re kickin’ up a good thing, baby,
Spinnin’ on the floor like the wind on the daisies.
Kickin’ up a good thing, maybe
This little two-step’s ‘bout to drive me crazy.
You turn, I follow — girl, you’re smooth as a breeze,
Movin’ like you’re born to put a man on his knees.
Yeah, we’re kickin’ up a good thing, baby—
Kickin’ up a good thing, maybe.

Don’t stop now, keep rollin’ on,
Got a feelin’ this spark is strong.
If this dance keeps lastin’ long,
We might write ourselves a country song…

Kickin’ up a good thing, baby,
Spinnin’ on the floor like a county parade is.
Kickin’ up a good thing, maybe
We’re the kind of match that the good Lord made us.
You turn, I follow — girl, you’re smooth as a breeze,
Stealin’ every thought I’ve got with nothin’ but ease.
Yeah, we’re kickin’ up a good thing, baby—
Kickin’ up a good thing, maybe.

Kickin’ Up a Good Thing (Two-step)

Breakthrough on the Mountain Road by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Snow was falling on an empty highway,
I’d been fighting just to keep my faith.
Lost in the shadows of my own heartache,
Praying for a sign, Lord, show me the way.

When the night got colder, and the wind blew strong,
I felt Your whisper telling me to hold on.

'Cause You gave me a breakthrough on the mountain road,
Lifted my spirit when my hope ran low.
You cleared the fog and let Your sunrise glow—
Hallelujah, I’m not walking alone.
Yeah, You gave me a breakthrough on the mountain road,
And I’m runnin’, runnin’ where Your freedom flows.

Every valley had a lesson waiting,
Every setback had a hidden grace.
Now I’m singing like a soul awakened—
Your love never fails, no matter the weight.

When the storm was raging, when the night felt long,
Your steady heartbeat carried me on.

'Cause You gave me a breakthrough on the mountain road…

Now I’m climbing higher than I’ve ever been,
With Your fire burning strong within—
This road is Yours, Lord, lead me again!

You gave me a breakthrough on the mountain road…
Hallelujah, I’m finally home.

Breakthrough on the Mountain Road

Two Hearts One Highway by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I still feel that Friday night,
You climbin’ in my truck so quiet.
Didn’t know that one small ride
Would change the whole direction of my life.

I still see those empty neon lights,
Your smile cuttin’ through my fear that night.
Didn’t think I’d ever trust
But somethin’ in your voice said “Girl, you might.”

Every mile we chased felt new,
Every song we played felt true,
Didn’t know where the road would bend—
Didn’t know I could start again—
But somehow the night became a friend.

’Cause it’s two hearts, one highway,
Drivin’ past the things we couldn’t outrun yesterday.
Your hand finds mine, and the world feels safe,
Like the pieces finally fell into place.
Baby, whatever comes our way,
We’ll face it side by side, come what may—
Two hearts, one highway.

You saw the parts of me I hide,
The ones I never say out loud.
But you held them like they mattered,
Like they were somethin’ to be proud of now.

And you showed me that a broken past
Ain’t something love can’t overcome.
Girl, with you I feel the kind of peace
I didn’t know I’d ever find with anyone.

We’ve both been cut,
We’ve both been scarred,
But soft beginnings grow from hard—
And love don’t rush,
It just unfolds,
A story written brave and bold.

’Cause it’s two hearts, one highway,
Drivin’ past the things we couldn’t outrun yesterday.
Your hand finds mine, and the world feels safe,
Like the pieces finally fell into place.
Baby, whatever comes our way,
We’ll face it side by side, come what may—
Two hearts, one highway.

Maybe love is in the miles—
Maybe love is when both try —
Maybe love is in your laughter—
Maybe love is in your eyes—
Maybe love is in the truth
That every road just leads to you.

Two hearts, one highway,
Rollin’ into every sunrise, findin’ our own way.
If life throws storms or skies of gray,
We’ll hold on tight and never stray.
Baby, whatever comes our way,
We’ll face it side by side, come what may—
Two hearts,
One highway.

Part 5: Two Hearts, One Highway (duet)

The Way We Hold On by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

It’s been a while since that wild first ride,
Since your feet on my dash, since our hearts couldn’t hide.
Now the shoes by the door look a lot like home,
And the life that we built doesn’t feel like a loan.
Coffee cups and calendars,
All the little everyday whispers—
Funny how the smallest things
Become the ones you treasure.

And when the world gets loud outside,
You’re still the quiet place I find—

It’s in the way we hold on,
Soft but strong, steady and long,
How the years turn hard times into songs.
Love ain’t fireworks or perfect lines,
It’s the promise kept a thousand times.
Baby, we’ve come so far,
And I’m still fallin’, still in awe—
Of the way we hold on.

We’ve had nights with too much silence,
We’ve had days when we fell apart.
But every time we lost direction,
You still reached for my hand in the dark.
We learned that love is patient,
More honest than we knew—
It’s sayin’ “I’m not leaving”
Even when the sky turns blue to blue.

And every time my fear kicks in,
You’re there to let the light back in—

It’s in the way we hold on,
Soft but strong, steady and long,
How the years turn hard times into songs.
Love ain’t fireworks or perfect lines,
It’s the promise kept a thousand times.
Baby, we’ve come so far,
And I’m still fallin’, still in awe—
Of the way we hold on.

Maybe love was made for seasons—
Storms and summers, doubts and reasons.
But you’re the place I always land,
My steady heart, my second chance.
And even when the years grow tall,
You’re the one I trust through it all.

It’s in the way we hold on,
In the way we choose to stay when the night feels long.
How forgiveness turns the past to dawn.
Love’s not easy, but it’s ours—
A little fragile, mostly stars.
Baby, even when we’re old and gone,
I’ll still be grateful, still be strong—
For the way we hold on.

Part 6: The Way We Hold On (duet)

Heartbeat Highway (reprise)  by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I still remember that first night,
You climbin’ in with that half-smile light.
Windows down, a brand-new road,
Two tired hearts with a heavy load.
Funny how the smallest spark
Can shake the quiet in the dark—
I didn’t know it then, but true,
That drive was leadin’ me to you.

On that heartbeat highway,
Where the stars looked close
And the world felt far away—
Wind in your hair,
Your laugh in mine,
Two lost souls findin’ the same line.
No map, no plan,
Just fate on display—
Oh, love began
On that heartbeat highway.

Now years have written on our skin,
But I still feel that spark again
Every time you brush my hand
Or say my name the way you can.
We’ve seen dawns and storms and change,
But nothing made that night grow strange—
It lives inside us like a flame,
Burnin’ soft but just the same.

On that heartbeat highway,
Where something fragile
Found a place to stay—
Two hearts jumpin’,
One story born,
A promise whispered
Long before the morn’.
Whatever life brings
Come night or day—
My heart still runs
On that heartbeat highway.

Part 8: Heartbeat Highway (reprise)

Little Firecracker by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

You walk in, boom, like the Fourth of July,
Red dress, wild hair, mischief in your eye.
You toss your keys on the corner of the bar,
Like you already know you’re the brightest star.
You don’t need matches, you don’t need light,
You bring your own everywhere you go at night.
I’m just a guy tryin’ not to stare,
But you strike sparks in the summer air.

Every laugh you throw is a Roman candle,
I’m a simple heart you’re tryin’ to handle—

Girl, you’re my little firecracker,
Snappin’ off sparks every time I catch ya.
Turnin’ this night into dynamite,
Yeah, you blow my mind in the best way, right?
You light me up, boom-boom laughter—
Girl, you’re my little firecracker.

You grab my hand when the DJ hits,
Drag me to the floor where the rhythm splits.
You spin around in your torn blue jeans,
Givin’ all the stars some brand-new means.
You don’t need a script, you just improvise,
Every move you make is a new surprise.
You say, “Come on boy, don’t hold back,”
And there goes my careful heart off track.

You’re a sparkler trail in a dark sky,
Drawin’ your name on my good-bye—

’Cause girl, you’re my little firecracker,
Snappin’ off sparks every time I catch ya.
Turnin’ this night into dynamite,
Yeah, you blow my mind in the best way, right?
You light me up, boom-boom laughter—
Girl, you’re my little firecracker.

If we burn out when the night is through,
I’ll still be thankful I got lit by you.
But I got a feelin’ when the smoke is gone,
You’ll still be here turnin’ my heart on—

’Cause girl, you’re my little firecracker,
Snappin’ off sparks every time I catch ya.
Turnin’ my life into dynamite,
Yeah, you blow my mind in the best way, right?
You light me up, boom-boom laughter,
I’ll chase you ever after.
In a world full of fade-to-blackers—
You’re my little,
My forever
Firecracker.

Little Firecracker

The Girl Who Out-two-stepped Me by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I walked into the bar thinkin’ I was hot stuff,
Boots shined up and my swagger enough.
Told the boys, “Stand back, I’m gonna take the lead,”
But then she spun past me at lightning speed.
She hit that floor like she owned the wood,
Turned every cowboy head where she stood.
I stepped forward, tried to keep the beat —
But she had fire underneath her feet.

She’s the girl who out-two-stepped me,
Left me standin’ like a beginner, see?
I thought I had rhythm but apparently
She’s dancin’ on another frequency.
Yeah, the girl who out-two-stepped me
Made my pride drop to my knees.
Now I’m learnin’ fast as a man can be —
Chasin’ the girl who out-two-stepped me.

I tried a little spin, nearly lost my hat,
She laughed so sweetly I was fine with that.
She said, “Boy, relax, just follow along,”
And suddenly I wasn’t doin’ it wrong.
She guided my hands, said, “Move like so…”
And darn if my feet didn’t start to go.
By the end of the night I had caught her style,
And she rewarded me with a kiss and a smile.

She’s the girl who out-two-stepped me,
Left me standin’ like a beginner, see?
I thought I had rhythm but apparently
She’s dancin’ on another frequency.
Yeah, the girl who out-two-stepped me
Made my pride drop to my knees.
Now I’m learnin’ fast as a man can be —
Chasin’ the girl who out-two-stepped me.

If she keeps teachin’, I might just be
Half the dancer she seems to see!

She’s the girl who out-two-stepped me…
And Lord, I hope she never sets me free.
I thought I had rhythm but apparently
She’s dancin’ on another frequency.
Yeah, the girl who out-two-stepped me
Made my pride drop to my knees.
Now I’m learnin’ fast as a man can be —
Chasin’ the girl who out-two-stepped me

The Girl Who Out-two-stepped Me (Two-step)

Break the Spell by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

You talked sweet like a preacher man,
Sold me heaven with a silver-tongue sleight of hand.
But every truth had a twist in it,
And every promise had a countdown ticking in it.

But I saw the shine behind your lies—
And now I see you crystal-clear tonight.

I break the spell, I’m finally waking up,
Done with the hurt and fear, the faking it.
Your chains don’t fit me all that well—
Watch me break free from under your spell. 
You thought your future was my past—
My freedom's about to hit you like a shotgun blast.
There won't be any tearful farewell, 
I'm done with you, I break the spell.

You tried to bind me with fear and doubt,
Clipped my wings so I couldn’t figure a way out.
But the truth's now in the open and on my side.
And the girl you once controlled is the girl who says goodbye.

You thought you’d keep me hypnotized—
But look who’s waking up with fire in her eyes.

I break the spell, I’m finally waking up,
Done with the hurt and fear, the faking it.
Your chains don’t fit me all that well—
Watch me break free from under your spell. 
You thought your future was my past—
My freedom's about to hit you like a shotgun blast.
There won't be any tearful farewell, 
I'm done with you, I break the spell.

Your magic fades, your hold is gone,
I’ve reached my senses and moving on.
You don’t get to speak my fate—
I'm the one who's opened that gate.

I break the spell, I’m finally waking up,
Done with the hurt and fear, the faking it.
Your chains don’t fit me all that well—
Watch me break free from under your spell. 
You thought your future was my past—
My freedom's about to hit you like a shotgun blast.
There won't be any tearful farewell, 
I'm done with you, I break the spell

Break the Spell

Raised on Grit and Glory by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs
                                                   

I was raised where the red clay stains your boots,
Where your mama says “work hard,” daddy says “tell the truth.”
Got a backbone built from Sundays and a heart that don’t shake,
You can try to knock me down—Lord knows, I won’t break.

Every fight, every fall, carved a fire in my soul,
And the louder the world gets, the stronger I stand tall.

’Cause I was raised on grit and glory,
Faith and family tell my story.
You can push me, you can test me—
But you’ll never, ever bend me.
Yeah, I’m rock-solid, battle-ready,
Storms roll in but I stay steady.
I was raised on grit and glory—
Ain’t nobody gonna take that from me.

Grandma’s bible on the table, daddy’s wisdom in my bones,
A little wild, a little stubborn, but I know where I belong.
I got roots that hold me strong when the world tries pulling me loose—
I’m the girl who stands her ground, yeah, I got nothing to prove.

Let the lightning strike down, let the hard wind blow—
I’m unshaken, unafraid, watch me rise through the smoke.

’Cause I was raised on grit and glory,
Faith and family tell my story.
You can push me, you can test me—
But you’ll never, ever bend me.
Yeah, I’m rock-solid, battle-ready,
Storms roll in but I stay steady.
I was raised on grit and glory—
Ain’t nobody gonna take that from me.

Oh, you can swing your punches—
I won’t fall, I won’t fold.
My faith is my fortress,
My heart’s made of gold.

’Cause I was raised on grit and glory,
Faith and family tell my story.
You can push me, you can test me—
But you’ll never, ever bend me.
Yeah, I’m rock-solid, battle-ready,
Storms roll in but I stay steady.
I was raised on grit and glory—
Ain’t nobody gonna take that from me.

Yeah, I’m unbreakable, baby.

Raised on Grit and Glory

Shadow on my Trail by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I’ve been running from a promise
that I made when I was young,
Swore I’d never let the darkness
overshadow what I’ve done.
But the night keeps creeping closer,
and the road feels worn and frail —
Every mile I leave behind me
still leaves a shadow on my trail.

’Cause I walk with the light,
though the dark calls my name.
I’ve lost a few battles,
but I’m still in the game.
There’s a fire in my heart
that’ll never turn pale —
I keep moving on
with the shadow on my trail.

Had a woman once who loved me,
but I loved the highway more.
Left her standing in the doorway
like a saint behind a door.
Now her memory rides beside me
in the wind and in the hail —
She’s the angel on my shoulder,
not the shadow on my trail.

Cause I walk with the light,
though the dark calls my name.
I’ve lost a few battles,
but I’m still in the game.
There’s a fire in my heart
that’ll never turn pale —
I keep moving on
with the shadow on my trail.

Some men chase redemption,
some men run from sin —
I guess I’m somewhere in the middle,
trying not to fall again.

Yeah, I walk with the light,
though the dark calls my name.
If the good Lord will guide me,
I won’t end up the same.
There’s a fire in my heart
that’ll never turn pale —
I’ll keep moving on
with the shadow on my trail.

Shadow on my Trail (tribute to Johnny Cash)

Still Standing in the Light (Gospel version) by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I’ve been low enough to feel the floor
Cold concrete under my pride
Said some words I can’t take back
Crossed a few too many lines
I wore the weight of my mistakes
Like they were stitched into my skin
But somethin’ kept me breathin’
When I shouldn’t have made it in

I don’t claim I’m innocent
I just know I’m still here

I’m still standin’ in the light
Even after all this time
With these scars and restless nights
Yeah, I’m still standin’ in the light
I’ve been lost, I’ve been broken
I’ve been too far gone to pray
But grace don’t care where you’ve been
It meets you where you stay

I chased the dark like it knew my name
Let the bottle speak for me
Thought I had nothin’ left to lose
Till I almost couldn’t breathe
Now every sunrise feels earned
Like mercy I didn’t deserve
If there’s a hand that pulled me through
I felt it workin’ when it hurt

I don’t know how Heaven sounds
But I know what saved me

I’m still standin’ in the light
Even after all this time
With these scars and restless nights
Yeah, I’m still standin’ in the light
I’ve been lost, I’ve been broken
I’ve been too far gone to pray
But grace don’t care where you’ve been
It meets you where you stay

If forgiveness is a road
I walked it mile by mile
If faith’s just keepin’ your head up
I’m learnin’ how

I’m still standin’ in the light
Not because I won the fight
But I didn’t give up tonight
Yeah, I’m still standin’ in the light
I’ve been weak, I’ve been reckless
One wrong step from the edge
But mercy don’t need perfection
Just a man still drawin’ breath

Still standin’…
Still standin’ in the light

Still Standing in the Light (Gospel version)

Your Name in the Toolbox by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I keep your name in the toolbox drawer
Right next to the nails I don’t use anymore
It’s not romantic, it’s just the truth
You were part of fixing what I broke in my youth

Now every time something rattles loose
I reach for a memory I can’t refuse

’Cause you taught me how to hold my temper
How to finish what I start
How to speak when it would’ve been easier
To keep my mouth shut and my pride up
If you ever wonder what you changed
It ain’t just love—it’s the way I’m made
Yeah, I carry your name in the toolbox
Right by the things that keep me from falling apart

There’s a scratch on the truck from that fence post day
You laughed so hard you couldn’t catch your breath to say
“Maybe slow down,” but you said it kind
Like you wanted me safe, not simply right

I lost you, yeah, I know I did
But I kept what you built in me, bit by bit

’Cause you taught me how to hold my temper
How to finish what I start
How to speak when it would’ve been easier
To keep my mouth shut and my pride up
If you ever wonder what you changed
It ain’t just love—it’s the way I’m made
Yeah, I carry your name in the toolbox
Right by the things that keep me from falling apart

Some people leave and take the good with ’em
You left and somehow left it here
So if I love somebody better someday
It’ll be partly because you were here

You taught me how to hold my temper
How to finish what I start
How to speak when it would’ve been easier
To keep my mouth shut and my pride up
If you ever wonder what you changed
It ain’t just love—it’s the way I’m made
Yeah, I carry your name in the toolbox
Right by the things that keep me from falling apart

Your Name in the Toolbox (duet)

Bayou Don’t Lie by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Sun goes down like it’s tired of the fight,
Mosquitoes hummin’ under every porchlight.

Mama says boy don’t stay out late,
But trouble cookin’ in an old iron gate.

Catfish skin on a cedar board,
Moonshine breath and a screen door chord.

You can smell that storm ‘fore it hits.
Yeah, you learn things quick where the mud don’t quit.

Everybody got a secret round here,
Buried in the heat and the whiskey and fear.

Bayou don’t lie, it just waits,
Lets you walk straight into your fate.
Water moves slow but it remembers names,
Bayou don’t lie, boy—it just plays games.

Saw her shoes by the cypress tree,
Didn’t see her eyes but I felt ‘em on me.

Cotton dress and a switchblade grin,
Lord help a man when the night caves in.

Gators roll where the shadows breathe,
Old men pray but they never leave.

You can run but the road runs out,
Then the frogs start singin’ what the dark’s about.

That river hums like it knows your sin,
Sayin’ come on in… come on in…

Bayou don’t lie, it just waits,
Lets you walk straight into your fate.
Water moves slow but it remembers names,
Bayou don’t lie, boy—it just plays games.

Granddaddy said, “Son, mind the still,
Mind the woman with the silent will.
If the night gets thick and the air won’t move,
Best leave with less than you came to prove”

Bayou don’t lie, it just waits,
Ticks time with your mistakes.
You hear your truth when the cicadas cry,
Bayou don’t lie…
Bayou don’t lie…

Sun comes up like nothin’ happened at all,
Just footprints fade by the waterline call.
Nothin' happened at all...

Bayou Don't Lie

Black Water Oath by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

River's gone quiet like it’s holdin’ its breath,
No birds tonight, just the taste of death.
Moon hanging low like it knows my name,
I didn’t come here clean, I won’t leave the same.

Boots sink down where the cold mud curls,
Saw my face break into ripples and swirls.
You don’t say much when the truth gets near,
You just listen hard to what the water hears

Daddy said, “Son, when the deal gets sealed,
A man best knows what he’s yieldin’”

I swore a black water oath,
By a bent knee and a blood-red moon,
Promised more than a man should boast,
Now the river says it’s comin’ soon.
Black water don’t forgive,
Black water don’t forget,
Once you give what it asks to live,
It collects its debt.

Hands still shake from a knife I held,
Not sayin’ names, but the night sure smelled.
Like rust and rain and a bad last choice,
When the dark leaned in and stole my voice.

Cypress creak like an old court judge,
Every step feelin’ like blood and sludge.
You don’t outrun what you let inside,
You just pick which truth you’re gonna hide.

Ain’t no prayer for a promise broke,
Only silence and the river’s joke.

I swore a black water oath,
By a bent knee and a blood-red moon.
Promised more than a man should boast,
Now the river says it’s comin’ soon.
Black water don’t forgive,
Black water don’t forget,
Once you give what it asks to live,
It collects its debt.

Ain’t sayin’ I was right…
Just sayin’ I was there...
And the water remembers everything.

Black water oath…
Ain’t no quittin’ now.
Black water oath…
Hear it knockin’ anyhow.

Sun won’t rise on borrowed grace,
River closes in… to erase my trace.

Black Water Oath

Don’t Ask the River by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Old man says the water knows
Every secret you don’t show
Ask it once, ask it twice
River answer don’t come up nice

If you wanna know how it ends
Best don’t start askin’ then

Don’t ask the river where it goes
Don’t ask the wind what it knows
If you’re standin’ on shaky ground
Don’t wait to hear that sound...
Better not wait boy...

Moon hanging low, current fast
Some questions outlive the past
Truth don’t whisper, it rolls on through
Like it don’t care what it do to you

Don’t ask the river where it goes
Don’t ask the dark what it owes
If you’re standin’ on shaky ground
Don’t wait to hear that sound...
Better not wait boy...

Some answers cost too much
Just to feel that kind of touch

Don’t ask the river, just move along
If you stay too long, you’re gone
If you’re standin’ on shaky ground
Don’t wait to hear that sound...

You left it too late, boy...
Do you hear that sound?

Don't Ask the River

Gaslight on the Dashboard by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Gaslight on the dashboard glow
Don’t know where I’m goin’ but I know I’m goin’
Every sign say slow it down
But I ain’t built for hangin’ around

Got no map, don’t need one now
Road know more than I allow

Gaslight on the dashboard
Hands on the wheel, heart leanin’ forward
If I don’t stop, I won’t look back
Gaslight on the dashboard track

Sunrise hit that windshield clean
Best damn view I’ve ever seen
Every doubt in the rearview small
Ain’t missin’ much if I miss it all

Gaslight on the dashboard
Every mile just wantin’ more
I ain’t lost, I’m just unmoored
Gaslight on the dashboard

Road keep hummin’ my kind of song
If it feels right, it can’t be wrong

Gaslight on the Dashboard

When the Sky Turns Mean by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Clouds roll in like they know my name
Wind starts talkin’ all 'bout change
Radio man says “batten down”
But I seen worse than what’s comin’ now

[Pre-Chorus]
Mama say, “Boy, don’t tempt that sign”
I said, “Storms pass all the time”

When the sky turns mean
And the night burns blue
I won’t run, I won’t fold
I’ll be standin’ right here with you
Yeah, when the sky turns mean

Thunder knockin' on the window frame
Rain comin' hard but it don’t explain
Every fear wanna take the wheel
But I always steer by what I feel

When the sky turns mean
And the ground shakes loose
I won’t hide, I won’t lean
On excuses for the truth
Yeah, when the sky turns mean

Bad signs don’t decide my fate
I don’t borrow trouble — I just wait

When the sky turns mean
And the ground shakes loose
I won’t hide, I won’t lean
On excuses for the truth
Yeah, when the sky turns mean

When the Sky Turns Mean

Run It Down the Line by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Got a tank half full and a pocket of doubt
Radio loud just to drown it out
Every town look the same at night
But the road keep pullin’ me into the light

I ain’t lost, I just ain’t still
World keep spinnin’ and I never will

I’m gonna run it down the line
Til the worry falls behind
Every mile just clear my mind
I’m gonna run it down the line
Yeah, I’m gonna run it down the line

Old boots worn but they still know how
To kick dust where I’m standin’ now
If there’s somethin’ better up ahead
I won’t know ‘til I’m gone instead

I’m gonna run it down the line
Til the worry falls behind
Every mile just clear my mind
I’m gonna run it down the line

Sun go down, sun come back
Ain’t no shame in changin’ tracks

I’m gonna run it down the line
Yeah, I’m gonna run it down the line

Run It Down the Line

County Line Mercy by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Blue lights fade in the rearview glass
County line comes up fast
Sheriff knows me, look the other way
Said, “Son, don’t make me pray today”
Hands still smell like gasoline
Heart still poundin’ over what I’ve seen
Some folks cross just to feel clean
Some just cross ‘cause they need to breathe

Mercy ain’t loud, it don’t insist
Sometimes it’s what just gets missed

County line mercy
Thin as air
One foot wrong and it ain’t there
Ain’t salvation, ain’t relief
Just a little space between

Mama taught me right from wrong
World taught me where they overlap
Judge wears robes, preacher wears black
Both got rules they don’t give back
Night don’t care who’s justified
Just care who makes it through alive
I ain’t proud but I ain’t done
Still I'm where the darkness won

County line mercy
Thin as air
One foot wrong and it ain’t there
Ain’t salvation, ain’t relief
Just a little space between

Sun rise soft on a borrowed day
I drove on… didn’t look back that way

I drove on… daren't look back that way

County Line Mercy

Crossroads Behind the Feed Store by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Crossroads sit where the sidewalk quits
Behind the feed store, rusted sign bent
Moonlight hum like a bad idea
Wind say things you don’t wanna hear
Took my hat off, wiped my hand
Didn’t see him but I felt him stand
Smell of smoke and river mud
Like old regret mixed up with blood

Voice said, “Boy, what you lookin’ to be?”
I said, “Less broke… maybe free”

Crossroads don’t give, they trade
Take what you want, pay what you ain’t
Ain’t no paper, ain’t no pen
Just a nod and a when

Said, “I got tunes what won’t behave
Make your name ring past the grave”
Said, “It ain’t luck and it ain’t crime
Just borrowin’ from future time”
I thought of her and the life I missed
Thought of fists and almost-this
Then the night leaned in real slow
Like it already knew I’d go

Crossroads don’t give, they trade
Take what you want, pay what you ain’t
Ain’t no paper, ain’t no pen
Just a nod and a when

Funny thing ‘bout freedom…
It always got an echo

Feed store closed, road gone black
I got what I asked for…
Can’t take it back

Forgive me Lord
I can't take it back

Crossroads Behind the Feed Store

Gator Don’t Blink by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

Still water ripples by the bank
Something moving, maybe it sank
Sun beats down, sweat runs slow
That kind of heat where the bad thoughts grow
Cattails whisper, reeds lean back
Hear a soft slide through the black
You don’t see it ‘til it’s too late
That’s how trouble negotiates

Ain’t every danger make a sound
Some just wait you out

Gator don’t blink
Gator don’t rush
He lets you think you safe enough
One wrong step, one bad hunch
Gator don’t blink — and that’s enough

Old men fish where the young don’t swim
They know which prayers don’t work on him
Eyes just break the waterline
Cold as debts you left behind
Boot heel slips, heart beats spike
Swear I felt that tail swing wide
Ain’t no drama, ain’t no show
Just a truth you come to know

Gator don’t blink
Gator don’t rush
He lets you think you safe enough
One wrong step, one bad hunch
Gator don’t blink — and that’s enough

World don’t end with thunder and flame
Sometimes it'll end with nothin’ changin’

Water still…
He’s still there

He's still there

Gator Don't Blink

Parking Lot Promises by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

We were twenty-something, gas gauge flirting with E
Sharing one cigarette like it owed us a fee
You said, “I’ll never be like him,” staring at the hood
I said, “I’ll never quit on us,” like a tough guy would

We meant it… till real life showed up

Parking lot promises—cheap and loud
Said with a grin to impress the crowd
We drew forever on the back of a napkin
Then let the rain turn the ink into nothing
Yeah, we talked like saints, lived like thieves
Took the best part and refused to keep
Parking lot promises—look at us
We were rich in words, broke in trust

Now I see your car at the grocery store lot
I don’t turn my head, but my hands tie knots
I don’t hate you, I don’t blame you, I just understand
Some plans don’t survive when they leave your mouth and hit your hands

We meant it… till choices stacked up

Parking lot promises—cheap and loud
Said with a grin to impress the crowd
We drew forever on the back of a napkin
Then let the rain turn the ink into nothing
Yeah, we talked like saints, lived like thieves
Took the best part and refused to keep
Parking lot promises—look at us
We were rich in words, broke in trust

If I could go back, I’d talk less brave
I’d show up more, I’d learn your days
’Cause love ain’t said—love is proved
In the boring hours we used to lose

Parking lot promises—cheap and loud
Said with a grin to impress the crowd
We drew forever on the back of a napkin
Then let the rain turn the ink into nothing
Yeah, we talked like saints, lived like thieves
Took the best part and refused to keep
Parking lot promises—look at us
We were rich in words, broke in trust

Parking Lot Promises

Last Call First Truth by Tony Gibbs
All rights reserved © ℗ 2025 Tony Gibbs

I’ve worn “I’m fine” like a lucky hat
Til it started smelling like cigarette ash
I’ve blamed the town, blamed the weather, blamed the past
Anything but the man in the glass

But tonight the room got quiet in my head

Last call, first truth— I’ve been running scared
Acting tough, acting numb, acting like I never cared
If I keep living like this, I’ll lose more than you
So here it is, no stunt, no excuse
Last call, first truth— I need to change
Not tomorrow, not someday—starting today

I owe my mama better than worry
Owe my friends more than “sorry”
Owe myself a morning I can stand
Without bargaining with who I am

I’m done making jokes out of my health

Last call, first truth— I’ve been running scared
Acting tough, acting numb, acting like I never cared
If I keep living like this, I’ll lose more than you
So here it is, no stunt, no excuse
Last call, first truth— I need to change
Not tomorrow, not someday—starting today

If you’re listening, and you’re in the same spot
Thinking it’s too late—buddy, it’s not
Ask for help, take the hand
That’s the strongest thing a person can

Last call, first truth— I’ve been running scared
Acting tough, acting numb, acting like I never cared
If I keep living like this, I’ll lose more than you
So here it is, no stunt, no excuse
Last call, first truth— I need to change
Not tomorrow, not someday—starting today

Last Call First Truth (duet)

Last Call First Truth

UK songwriter. Featured songs have been produced thanks to the talent of Donna Hazelton, Esther O'Connor, Tim O'Connor, Graeme Duffin, Sandy Jones, John Harley Weston, Kim Copeland, Erin Caldwell, Rachel Williams, Tim Buppert, Pete Dymond, Marcie Summers, Stuart Brayson, Buddy Hyatt, Jim Hyatt, Brian Fullen, Glen Duncan, Bob Britt, Wayne Killius, James Mitchell, Doug Grieves, and Ray Curtis. 

All music and lyrics © Tony Gibbs unless shown otherwise. 

2025 onwards: Lyrics, melodies and creative direction: Tony Gibbs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence:

All creative work is developed through a human-led process where AI acts as a digital tool, not a replacement. My role is to provide the emotional truth, lived experience and artistic direction through my lyrics.

Every idea, story and emotional direction originates from my lived experience and/or my own imagination. AI helped me shape structure, phrasing and flow — the final voice, choices and meaning are entirely mine. Backing tracks created using AI. 

All intellectual property for the final lyrics remains with the human author.

Tony Gibbs

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