Favorite Work Tapes

Full-Band Demos

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Well, there’s a joke that goes around
My dad will put money in the ground
Before he’ll total that truck

Been kickin’ since ’07
I was only 11 
Or 8
When it played George Strait

CH:
That truck
Took me to school every morn'
Drove daddy miles to watch me perform

That truck 
That moved us away
From my childhood home that day

That truck 
That drove 30 minutes to catch
Me tryna be alone with my boyfriend
Picked me up from high school
When I couldn’t drive yet

That truck
Well it’s got a lot of miles
300,000 to be precise
But his heart beats the size
He loves that truck
But I love
The man inside

VR 2:
You’d know he went to USMA
It’s on more than his license plate
On the back of that truck

Since 3rd grade it’s showed songs to me
You can’t go wrong with Toby Keith
Down an old highway
That look on my face in

(CH)

BRI:
That truck 
That watched me wave goodbye
Dropping me off
For the very last time

18 and hanging on tight
To all that resides inside
That truck

CH:
That truck
Took me to school every morn
Drove daddy miles to watch me perform

That truck 
That moved us away
From my childhood home that day

That truck 
That drove 30 minutes to catch
Me tryna be alone with my boyfriend
Picked me up from high school
When I couldn’t drive yet

That truck
Well it’s got a lot of miles
300,000 to be precise
But his heart always beats the size
He loves that truck
But I love
The man inside

OUT:
The man inside
Yeah, I love the man inside
Man inside

That Truck (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
I was at a dive bar in town
Just wearin’ these boots out
Then a song came on
Now my head’s spinnin’ round and around

PRE:
Used to be
I could hear that beat
And not think twice about you and me
But now you’re gone
And you’re moved on
And I still can’t sing that song

CH:
Why’d you have to ruin my favorite song?
Now when I hear it
My head’s all wrong
And every time I hear that melody
I just think you’re not with me
And I’m not okay
No, I’m not okay
Why’d you have to ruin my favorite song
With your memory, yeah

VR 2:
I was in my car drivin’ around
Just chilling out
Then that radio came on
And now I’m stuck feeling down

PRE:
Used to be
I could hear that beat
And not think twice about you and me
But now you’re gone
And you’re moved on
And I still can’t sing that song

(CH)

BRI:
Well if time really flies
Then I don’t know why
I can’t bear to hear that rhyme
I’ll soon move on
And I’ll become strong
But right now I can’t sing that song

(CH)

Why'd You Have To Ruin My Favorite Song? (Work Tape)

Lyrics:
VR 1:
I’ve been broken and bruised
It might sound cliche, but
That’s what I’ve been through

Sticks and stones
Broke mental bones
And the words cut deep but weren’t true

PRE:
I could talk about
All the times I’ve been let down
But there’s something more important
I’d be nothing without

CH:
Pages and pages
And singing on stages
Got me through the worst of times

Trauma after trauma
And dealing with drama
I found peace in writing every line

Verses with melodies
Got me up off of my knees                               
Jotting down what’s in my mind

When push comes to shove
Life’s been tough
That’s not hard to see 
But music's always been there for me

VR 2:
Flipping through all of it;
The journals I’ve written in
Over 5000 entries of mine

I wasn’t much for sports,
But I adored
Performing on the sidelines

PRE:
I could bring up
So many memories
Throughout my life that shout 
“This is where I’m meant to be”
writing

(CH)

BRI:
Bullied and left out;
I didn’t let that keep me on the ground
I found 
where I belong
writing

(CH)

Music's Always Been There For Me (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1
We built something
All in person
A love up 
from the ground

Split shot up the side
And now we fight
Hold on to our pride
And don’t back down

PRE:
And you couldn’t manage
To look at all the damage
You caused me

Cruel couldn't hold a candle
To how you chose to handle
things

CH
I thought you’d be kind enough to look me in my face
As you tore me down
And threw our love away

I thought you’d look into 
the eyes of the one who you said “I Do” to
The one who you swore you loved

But you showed who you are
With every typed-out scar

I’m so afraid of what comes next
Cause its all over all over text

VR 2:
We made a life
Before the goodbye
Over the phone

It was all this you said 
He said she said, I said
And all of this regret
Its all spinning in my head

PRE:
And now all I get is shaming
The turn of your back you blaming
me

Cruel couldn’t hold a candle
To how you choose to dismantle
Things
What a vicious ending

(CH)

BRI
All over text
Thats the way this went 
Down

CH:
I thought you’d be kind enough to look me in my face
As you tore me down
And threw our love away

I thought you’d look into 
the eyes of the one who you said “I Do” to
The one who you swore you loved

But you showed who you are
With every typed-out scar

I’m afraid I know what comes next
Cause its all over 
It was all over text

All Over Text (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Well all those eggshells
I got used to walking on
Left their little marks
On the feet I rely upon

The tone of your voice
Seeing what’s wrong
Has become
Something I depend on

PRE:
I’ve gone through so much
And all this damage backs that up

CH:
I hang on every word
Cause I know how much it hurt
To be the burden
To be the lost
To be the reason why he walked

Seems like
It’s fight or flight
And its 
late at night
And I’m still combing through the day
Wondering about each mistake
I’ll never learn to fly
If I
Keep letting eggshells lead the way

VR 2:
It’s funny how what comforts 
A baby bird’s wings
Has kept me from flying
Or enjoying a good thing

I’m over-aware
Sometimes I get scared
That you’ll leave me 
standing there

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
A damaged mind
I’m scared they’ll leave me behind
I fear I’ll never feel whole
With all of this inside

When you’ve grown up
In a place and time
Where nothing
you ever did was right

I hope you don’t mind
That I’m terrified 
You’ll change your mind
Cause it happens all the time

(CH)

Eggshells (Work Tape)

Co-Written w/ Philip Cooper

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Broke my heart
God knows I went through phases
Of getting past
Seeing you in all these faces

Killing time
Out among the stars
Mending my scars

PRE:
But somewhere in this haze
I found a way
To fix what you chose to break

CH:
I’ll be the moon
Getting over you
Trying to get through
While picking up pieces
Of my shattered heart too

And I’ll keep my spirits high
You can’t take my light

In a months time  
I’ll be over you
I’ll be a whole new moon

VR 2:
Moving on
Lord knows it comes in stages
Of living through
Having to fill these empty spaces

Killing time
Out on my own
Changing who’s my home

PRE:
Cause somewhere in this haze
I found a way
To put back what you chose to take

(CH)

BRI:
Over the moon
I’m finally over you
I have gotten through
I’ve picked up the pieces
And because of that I grew

And I’ll keep my spirits high
You couldn’t take my light
In a month’s time
I was over you
Now I’m a whole new moon

New Moon (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Down here
We can’t see the plan
Down here
It’s out of our hands

Down here
We don’t know why people die
Down here
Don’t it make you cry
Saying goodbye. But

CH:
There’s gonna be
An angel in heaven
Watching over you and me
24/7

When you miss them
Know they can listen
There’s no question
They’re gonna be 
An angel in heaven

VR 2:
Down here
We’re forced to remember
Down here
We don’t know which prayers he’ll answer
Down here
We don’t know why there is cancer
But

(CH)

And life
Takes its sweet time
Over the years
Till I can talk without tears

There’s gonna be
An angel in heaven
Until I can finally see
God’s impression

When you miss them
Know they can listen
There’s no question
They’re gonna be 
An angel in heaven

Angel In Heaven (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Paige Ruderman

Lyrics:

Look around So many people
That haven’t figured out 
the "ten-year town"
It's real and it’s rough		
And it either brings out what you're made of 
or brings you down
And I don’t know where to go right now

CH:
But
I’m still pushing
I’m still looking
Up at what's in front of me
I’m still caring
I’m still wearing
This heart of mine on my sleeve
Cause the worst thing
About me not becoming
Who I’m meant to be
Would be disappointing me

VR 2:
I’ve been here For 5 whole years
And I’m nowhere near, Where I wanna end up
It’s tough, I can’t lie			
But what you want don’t
happen overnight
And I’m running out of tries

(CH)

BRI:
How could I look in the mirror
Knowing I gave up Everything I wanted?
How could I turn my back
On all that I am And not be haunted?
Cause I still want this.

So I'm still pushing
I'm still looking
Up at what's in front of me
I'm still caring
I'm still wearing
This heat of mine on my sleeve

(CH)

Disappointing Me (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Neal Burnette

Lyrics:

VR 1:
I sit
Thinking bout the way it is
Wondering 
If I quit would you care?
Would you care?

PRE:
You stay leaving me
Staring down a runway
You stay packed up
Worn down leather suitcase
Heartbreak

CH:
Now you’re good as gone
Turned a right to a wrong
Touch turned to dust
You're boarded up
Trapped with all these memories
Of you and me
All fading out
Like a movie screen
Might as well be as
Good as gone to me

VR 2:
I pace
Thinking bout the plans we made
Wondering
Do I stay? You don’t seem to care.
Do I dare?

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
And when you’re in the room
I can’t get to you
Might as well be
Checked out, not
Around
Always found
Skipping town

CH:
Cause you’re good as gone
How’d we go from right to wrong?
Your touch turned to dust
You stay boarded up
Now I got all these memories
Of you and me
And they all fade out
Like a movie screen
Might as well be as
Good as gone to me

Good As Gone (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Korie Burton Rott

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Convenience store ailes used to mock me
Asking why I don’t buy any
Mascara anymore
Been a while since I was in this
Fluorescent-lighted makeup section
Didn’t have a reason before

PRE:
I’d do up my eyes
Then he’d make me cry
What a waste
Running down my face
Then

CH:
You came around
And I figured out
A real man ain’t gonna
Let me down
Or cause no tears
Calm my fears
No matter what happens
You’ll still be here
The way that you love me
Let’s me know I can
Buy mascara again

VR 2:
Been forever since I saw a man
Who validates every emotion
That I have.
Didn’t take long for me to see
I don’t have to ask, you’re listening
I love that

PRE:
I love that

(CH)

BRI:
Convenience store ailes used to mock me
Asking why I don’t buy any
Mascara anymore
But I’ve closed that door

Cause
(CH)

Mascara (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Evan Scandrett

Lyrics:

VR 1:
High tides took you away
Low times you didn’t stay
Now you come back begging, please
But it’s too late to be there for me 
You said the words
And now I’m gone

PRE:
When it came to bare necessities
You fell short of necessary

CH:
Just cause
I didn’t grow up
Knowing what love was
Doesn't mean I’ll
Settle for your breadcrumbs

VR 2:
Wrong person right time
Know my worth is worth this fight
Soon as you realize the mistake you made
I’ll be gone ‘cause it's too late

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
It’s too bad
Oh it’s such a shame
It’s so sad
You forced me to walk away

(CH)

Breadcrumbs (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Bags are packed
Suitcase locked
There ain’t no
Second thoughts
In my mind
In my mind
Take in a breath
Let the liquor talk
All this time
How have i not walked
Away
Until today?

PRE:
Turned around
No tears in my eyes
This needed, ‘bout time
Goodbye
Came way later
Than it should

CH:
Finish your whiskey
Don’t bother getting
Off your chair
Finish your whiskey
It’s too late for me to care
I should’ve seen we were broken
A long time ago
All this pain inside I was holding
Is the reason I have to go
You can have all the drinks
I’ll take my memories
I don’t give a damn anymore
If you miss me
Finish your whiskey

VR 2:
Driving down
Our old block
Made up my mind
Like a solid rock
I’m gone
I’m gone

PRE:
Looked around
Wind in my hair
This freedom is
A breath of fresh air
Finally
Finally

(CH)
(CH)

Finish Your Whiskey (Full-Band Demo)

Lyrics:

VR 1: 
My whole life
I’ve been trying
To be someone
You approve of
It’s been a losing game
From such a young age
Truth is
I never stood a chance

PRE: 
Cause every time 
You look at me
A failure
Is all you see
And there’s no changing your mind

CH:
So I’ll take this chance
On my way out
To spare you a glance
And tell you you’re missing out
Being family
Should be an honor
And they all say
Blood’s thicker than water
But in your case
After all these years
All my tears
And your tough love
Blood’s not thick enough

VR 2:
My childhood was rigged
Trying to make myself fit
In your mold
But that got old
Cause no matter what I do
I’ll never be enough for you
Truth is
There’s no point

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
Having family
Should be an honor
But after all the abuse
There’s nothing of me left for you

(CH)

Blood’s Not Thick Enough (Work Tape)

Co-Written w/ Korie Burton Rott

Lyrics:

VR 1:
I tell my girl friend to delete those dating apps
Cause you don’t see commercials for Ferraris
Then I turn around and swipe right on some guy on tinder
Thinkin' in a week I won’t be sorry

PRE:
It’s true that I can’t see the future
But you would think I’d learn from the past

CH:
Not sure why anybody asks for my advice
Cause heaven knows that I don’t listen to any of mine
When I’m with my friends, how am I the voice of reason?
All living our lives one step at a time, the blind leading the blind

VR 2:
I tell my guy friends to “just tell her how you feel”
But when it comes to me, rejection gets too real
Wonder how people stay in toxic situations
Forgetting that I’ve been there myself

PRE:
It’s true that I can’t see the future
But you would think I’d learn from the past

(CH)

BRI:
Why do we all act like we know best
When the truth is we’re all in a different mess

(CH)

I tell my myself to delete those dating apps
Cause you don’t see commercials for Ferraris

Blind Leading The Blind (Full-Band Demo)

Mascara (Full-Band Demo)

Co-Written w/ Philip Cooper

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Broke my heart
God knows I went through phases
Of getting past
Seeing you in all these faces

Killing time
Out among the stars
Mending my scars

PRE:
But somewhere in this haze
I found a way
To fix what you chose to break

CH:
I’ll be the moon
Getting over you
Trying to get through
While picking up pieces
Of my shattered heart too

And I’ll keep my spirits high
You can’t take my light

In a months time
I’ll be over you
I’ll be a whole new moon

VR 2:
Moving on
Lord knows it comes in stages
Of living through
Having to fill these empty spaces

Killing time
Out on my own
Changing who’s my home

PRE:
Cause somewhere in this haze
I found a way
To put back what you chose to take

(CH)

BRI:
Over the moon
I’m finally over you
I have gotten through
I’ve picked up the pieces
And because of that I grew

And I’ll keep my spirits high
You couldn’t take my light
In a month’s time
I was over you
Now I’m a whole new moon

New Moon (Full-Band Demo)

Co-written w/ Adia Fuller

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
Some of my friends are the life of the party
Some of my friends will leave at 9:30
Some of my friends will be there in a flash
Some of my friends forget to text back
Some of my friends can’t hold their liquor
Some of my friends will hold it then get sicker
Some of my friends give too much information
Some of my friends have stronger reservations

Chorus:
But we all get along
Just like that Kenny Chesney song
And if Bill Withers could see
I lean on them
They lean on me
And when it’s hard to carry on
They lend a hand and help the lost
Cause I don’t know just where I’d be
If some of my friends
Never met me

Verse 2:
Some of my friends like to dance all night
Some of my friends prefer the quiet life
Some of my friends like to sing randomly
Some of my friends won’t be caught dead staying on key
Some of my friends are a shoulder to cry on
[F G] x3
Some of my friends will beat up anyone who does you wrong
Some of my friends will kindly break the news
Some of my friends they won’t sugarcoat the truth

(Chorus)

Bridge:
I can depend
On all of my friends
To be there for me
In whatever way they can

(Chorus)

That Truck (Full-Band Demo)

Co-Written w/ Korie Burton Rott

Lyrics:

VR 1:
If planet Earth was a man
You’d fit that mold more than anyone can
Like the moon pulls in the tides
Well that reminds me of you and I

CH:
Your smile is a valley
There’s an ocean
In those eyes
And even though I have a map
I get lost all the time
Can’t you see
You mean the whole world to me

VR 2:
When your rivers flow full of tears
I’ll wipe them away throughout the years
When the hills get too high to climb
I’ll carry you all the way to the other side

(CH)

BRI:
Your soul is as old as the trees
Don’t let this world tear you down,
Or change you with the leaves
My heart will always be yours, can’t you see
You mean the whole world to me

OUT:
You mean the whole world to me

The Whole World (Full-Band Demo)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
In my childhood
I understood
What it meant
To fall out of love
And they both 
Have their reasons
But all I’d ever seen was
A home 
That shattered to pieces

PRE:
I looked at my 
Not-broken friends
Wishing I
Could be them
And my mom and dad
Were still together
Cause

CH:
Tire swings 
Filled their lives
Tires leaving 
Was what filled mine
One place held
All their things
Two houses
I was in between
Growing up 
With 2 guides
I wouldn’t know 
What that’s like.
All my friends 
Were picking daises
And I 
Was picking sides

VR 2:
When Mamma’s and Daddy’s
Don’t get along
The children think they did 
Something wrong
And I was no 
Exception
It taught me 
Some cruel lessons
Like how
To push everyone away

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
I looked at my
Not-broken friends
Wishing I
Could be them
It’s a wonder how I learned 
To love again
Cause

(CH)

Picking Sides (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
He’d lift his bicep up
And plant one
He was popular in school
He’d flash a charming smile
And then some
He knew how to break the rules
He married a woman
Who already had a girl
Together they had a son
They were his whole world

PRE:
6 months went by
His sisters got the call
A ran red light
And he was good as gone

CH:
Now he looks at our
Family Christmas dinners from the sky
And he watches his
Kids grow up without him in their lives
And he waits cause he 
Knows we’ll all be with him one day
But not too soon
I say “he may be gone,
But he’s always with you”

VR 3: 
He was the life of 
Every party
Yet he was a family man
He had everyone laughing till they cried
Now they cry cause he was too young to die

(CH)

BRI:
I know he looks at our
Family Christmas dinners from the sky
And he’s been watching his
Kids growing up with his memory inside
And he waits cause he
Knows we’ll all be with him one day
But not too soon
I say “he may be gone
But Jimmy’s always with you”

Always With You (Jimmy’s Song) (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
It’s too bad you can’t pour a heart
And you can’t take back all you did
When you were busy falling apart
Did you notice the hell you put me in?

PRE:
And I've tried and tried and tried
Not to make you the bad guy

CH:
Whiskey, bourbon, or beer
You’d drink whatever it took
So you weren’t really here
Breaking me at arm’s length is your art
It’s too bad you can’t pour a heart

VR 2:
It’s too bad you can’t pour a heart
And you can’t take back all you said
When you came home without your car
Did you see that I was hanging by a thread?

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
Whiskey, bourbon, or beer
The only thing you cared about
Comes in loud and clear
Keeping me at arm’s length is your art
It’s too bad you can’t pour a heart.


Pour A Heart (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Told me
It ain’t gonna be easy
Living with what you got
Seems like you don’t got a shot

PRE:
5 years old
Life up ahead
They were counting me out
Before it began

CH:
But I learned to drive
In a car that was half mine
They said I’d never live alone
But here I am on my own
Me and my mama cried
At my college graduation
Can’t say it didn’t come
Without hesitation
And I
In my own time
Learned how to fly

VR 2:
People like us
They’ll try to shut us down
Just tune them out
Till you can’t hear a sound

PRE:
Seventeen
Full speed ahead
They called the race
Before I ran

(CH)

BRI:
But I took the test
With a perfect score
And I don’t need their 
Approval anymore
Anymore

Cause I can write
Like a machine
I was made for this
It was made for me
In spite of everything
In my own time
I learned how to fly

How To Fly (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Throwing out those bottles
Man, that’s tough
But so is my kids saying “You’ve had enough”

PRE:
Putting down that drink
Picking up what’s left of me
It feels like I could almost drown
But I’ve found

CH:
You gotta choose
Your hard
Before you lose
Who you are
Cause in the end
You know it’ll all be worth it
You gotta know
Your why
Go ahead and ditch your pride
Cause with everything in this life that's ours
You gotta choose your hard

VR 2:
4 days a week at the gym
Man, that's rough
But so is getting winded just getting up

PRE:
Putting down those sweets
Picking up something green
It feels like I’m just gonna let you down
But I’ve found

(CH)

BRI:
You gotta choose
Your hard
Don’t let you past
Define who you are
Cause in the end 
It’s all about your choices
Remember 
Your why
Let it light up your fire
Cause with everything in this life that’s ours
You gotta choose your hard


Choose Your Hard (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Adia Marie Fuller

Lyrics:

VR 1:
First you crawl
Then you sit up
Learn to walk
Fall down and get up
Then try to ride too fast when dad
Takes off those training wheels
By the time
You’ll realize it
Turning 5
Turns into driving
Yourself to class 
Caused you just passed
And life starts getting real

PRE:                       
When you get to where you’re going you’ll find                         
Life’s about way more than keeping score and finish lines

CH:

So, take it slow
Don’t always go
At the speed of light
Make sure
You keep your pure
More than you lose your mind
Make sure you glow through
What you go through
While you’ve still got 
Some growing up to do

VR 2:
Soon you’ll talk
About the future
You’ll get lost
Hopin’ it comes sooner
Then catch your breath get scared to death
With every mistake made
Throughout the climb
You’ll start to get it
On a dime
You’ll barely make it
Cause twenty-five
Always feels like
You can’t catch a break

(PRE)
(CH)
BRI:
And when you don’t 
Have a clue
Demon or angel
You should listen to
Trust your gut
Cause guess what
Those choices will make you

(CH)


Growing Up To Do (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Joe Cavanaugh

Lyrics:
VR 1:
I hate what-ifs
Would've could’ve should’ves
The things that I miss
The past is the past
And I shouldn't look back

PRE:
Came to me in a drink
And it just made me think
Maybe what we had
Wasn’t so damn bad

CH:
Nostalgia is a blindfold
It covers up what you already know
Nostalgia is a blindfold
Makes me forget all the lies that were told
And I couldn’t see
What was happening to me
Under all the fabricated memories
One of the biggest cons ever sold
Nostalgia is a blindfold

VR 2:
I took those rounds
Let them spin me around
Fell to the ground
And now I’m here
Wishing the thought of you’d
Disappear

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
Being insane
Means doing the same thing
And expecting something new
Especially when it comes to you

(CH)

Nostalgia (Work Tape)

Lyrics:
VR 1:
Are we ready?
I guess we’ll know
Soon enough
Unless you go
Too soon

PRE:
I've been through this before    
I’ve heard that pain
Knocking on my door

CH:
So pretty, please
Don't go away
Pinky promise me
You’re here to stay
The doctor’s said
You’ll be okay
It's just another 
Seven months to go
But I won’t believe 
With just heartbeat
I won't really think you’re mine
Until that cry of life

VR 2:
Heaven sent you
But they can take you away
Just like that
Cause

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
I wasn’t prepared for you
But now I see
How you’ll be
The one thing I cant bear to lose

(CH)

Cry Of Life (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Last kiss of the morning
I love you too
Not an hour passes
When I don’t think of you
In that hot-shot truck
Putting miles on the road
Burning up diesel
“Sweetheart,” he goes
“It’s just so peaceful”
And it’s just my luck

PRE: 
Hitches up that gooseneck
To that fifth wheel
Drives away
With my love, he feels
Cause that heavy-duty’s
Got nothing on me

CH: 
Our love’s built tough
Like his old dually
Through every mile
He’s right here with me
This freight and fate
Sent from above
Long haul love

VR 2: 
Can’t begin to tell you
How it feels
Having a hard-working man
And being the woman he heals
With every touch
It ain’t always easy
Then again what job is
But he always sees me
There’s no one i’d rather live
Through it all with

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
Though the hills and flats
I’ve got your back
And across state lines
Your heart is mine
And I’ll make sure
To soak in the times

(CH)


Long Haul Love (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
I was raised
At a time and place
Where everyone
Stood for the flag
And I'll always be grateful
To have grown up with a plateful
Of that downhome
American pride

PRE: 
And I will stand up for those that can’t
Cause they were fighting for this land

CH:
I’ve always been
A patriot
Kin of vets
And fed
By rednecks
Got no shame in my hometown brag
And I’m damn proud of my army dad
So here’s to all the visionaries,
Poets, scholars, and military.
Stand up and sing it loud
I’m American, Strong & Proud

VR 2:
Some folks overlook
Everything it took
For those soldiers
To put it all on the line
But their bravery won’t be in vain
Acting like they ain’t afraid
To go out on that battlefield
And fight

PRE:
And I’ll always remind
People of their sacrifice
Their life, limbs, and mind

(CH)

BRI:
So here’s to the Coast Guard, Army,
Air Force, Marines, and the Navy
Raise a glass, toss it back
For the heroes that last

(CH)

Patriot (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Korie Burton Rott & Elle Sloan

Lyrics:
VR 1:
You can retrace your steps
You can regret you left
You can tell me that 
You wanna start again
You can apologize
Try to make it right
You can hope that time 
Will fade all of your lies

PRE: 
A second try don’t undo the first
One more round will only make it worse
Cause

CH:  
Worn boots 
Can be made new
When they’ve seen better days
Shine ‘em up, stitch a hole 
That leather's still the same 
But this heart of mine
That you ran through
It don’t work that way
I wish it did
But you can’t fix
A heart that’s broke-in 

VR 2:
You can resole ‘em, 
You can remold ‘em
You can sew up all the strings 
That have come undone
When the toes get scuffed
You can fix ‘em right up
And no one will ever know
What you’ve done

(CH)

BRI: 
I ain’t no pair of Lucchese’s
There ain’t no remedy
To fix all the things you tore in me 

(CH)

Broke-In (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ Ian Gilliland

Lyrics:

Intro:
Paycheck to paycheck
I can’t afford the rent 
All my money’s in the ashes
Of Some burnt up cigarettes

VR 1:
All fixed up but I’m still broke
Every tear that I’ve spent
Don’t add up to heat the home
Or fix that picket fence 
Baby’s up running me down 
At 12, 1, and 4
Waking up the older ones
Who are dreaming for more

CH:
Paycheck to paycheck
I can’t afford the rent 
All my money’s in the ashes
Of some burnt up cigarettes
But that’s okay
That’s all right
Five and dime’s 
They now cost $1.29
Fighting Hard
From the start
Living more with less
I’m paycheck to paycheck,
Almost breaking from the stress

VR 2:
Living’s hard, not bulletproof
Every dollars on the line
I still wake and I’m there first
So I can own what’s mine
It's pretty scarce these days
In the way of work
But I’ll fight for my babies 
Till I’m laying in the dirt

(CH)

BRI:
I ain't giving up
And I ain’t giving in
No matter how deep inside
To hell and back I’ve been

(CH)


Paycheck To Paycheck (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

VR 1:
I was raised
At a time and place
Where everyone
Stood for the flag
And I'll always be grateful
To have grown up with a plateful
Of that downhome
American pride
PRE:
And I will stand up for those that can’t
Cause they were fighting for this land
CH:
I’ve always been
A patriot
Kin of vets
And fed
By rednecks
Got no shame in my hometown brag
And I’m damn proud of my army dad
So here’s to all the visionaries,
Poets, scholars, and military.
Stand up and sing it loud
I’m American, Strong & Proud
VR 2:
Some folks overlook
Everything it took
For those soldiers
To put it all on the line
But their bravery won’t be in vain
Acting like they ain’t afraid
To go out on that battlefield
And fight
PRE:
And I’ll always remind
People of their sacrifice
Their life, limbs, and mind
(CH)
BRI:
So here’s to the Coast Guard, Army,
Air Force, Marines, and the Navy
Raise a glass, toss it back
For the heroes that last
(CH)


Patriot (Full-Band Demo)

Co-written w/ Adia Fuller & Joe Cavanaugh

Lyrics:
VR 1:
All those fancy types 
Set the bar real high 
But I’ve found I like 
Stayin’ inside 
(yes I do)

Cause all these big bright lights 
Could make a girl go blind 
But the Irish goodbye’s 
My favorite kind
 
PRE:
Call it what you want
But I’m a bit blunt 
And I don’t give a damn whatcha think 

CH 1: 
If I can’t show up 
Half drunk 
Af-ter mar-garitas
Hair half done 
And cut off jeans
Then I ain’t goin’ 

VR 2: 
If the night goes side-ways
Just in case
I got a get-a-way 
Waitin’ outside

It might 
Be my ex 
Or my mom's best friend 
Or flash-ing blue lights  
But a ride’s a ride

(PRE) 

CH 2: 
If I can’t show up 
Half drunk (after) 
Bot-tom-less 
Mimoas
Hair half done
And ripped up jeans
Then I ain't goin’

BRIDGE: 
Just say the word
I’ll be red carpet ready
If you haven’t heard 
I go zero to sexy
From comfy to class
In 3 seconds flat

CH: 
If I can’t show up 
Half drunk 
With Bud Light in my cup
Hair half done 
And black ripped jeans
Then I ain’t goin’


Ain’t Goin’ (Work Tape)

VR 1:
I almost got married
To the wrong guy
Wanted you to be there
When the knot was tied.
I wanted you to be
By my side


PRE:
And you may not have enough lives
To see me for the rest of mine

CH:
But I really need you now
So I’m begging you, please hold out
You can’t go to God just yet
Cause I need you with me instead
Just to see this moment
I need you in
This moment I need you in

VR 2:
Been in the big city
Chasing those dreams
My biggest prayer    
Is that someday
You’ll live to see
Me holding that trophy
Me living that way

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:
I have the honor
Of being your granddaughter
And I know you’ll live forever in me

(CH)

Moment I Need You In (Work Tape)

Co-written w/ MK Strother

Lyrics:

VR 1: 
The woman can handle
Almost anything
No one holds a candle
To fire she brings

PRE: 
And she
Always stayed on track
She goes the extra mile for me
And always has my back

CH:   
With coffee in her hand
And a Bible in the other
There’s no Wonder Woman
Quite like my mother
With everything she’s achieved
She always says to me
“Getting to be your mama on this Earth
Was my best work.”

VR 2: 
Keeping this house a home
While raising babies
Cooking on the phone
While the kids picked daisies

PRE 2: 
Hard times
Didn’t keep her down
Balancing on that tight rope
Didn’t knock over her crown

(CH)

BRI: 
God’s best work
Was choosing her
To be my mama
I just hope
That she knows
I couldn’t do this life
Without a

(CH)


My Best Work (Work Tape)

Co-Written w/ Ava Goins

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Never cared to be seen 
Always dared to do anything
Like a daisy
Resilient, Wild

Didn’t ask for much
Never wanted to be touched 
Like a Rose
Guarded, Love

PRE:
I counted my petals 
Lost every battle
To a reflection
I didn’t see perfect 
But my mama says

CH: 
The rain may fall
In a different place
But the sun still sets 
On time each day
And every April
Will bring your May
Wildflowers aren’t meant
To bloom the same

VR 2: 
Has expensive taste
Always flowing with grace
Like an orchid
Luxurious, Poised

Always rising above
Carries problems with a blush
Like a lotus
Quiet, Dreamer

(PRE)
(CH)

BRI:  
Noting why 
The flowers grow more
On their side
What’s it all for
My colors are different than yours
That don’t mean they’re less or more
And we may bend with every downpour
But we won’t break
We’ll just wait
To be tall again

(CH)


Wildflowers (Work Tape)

Country songwriter & musician from Dallas, Texas, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. MTSU Commercial Songwriting alum.

Lauren Teel

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