Co-Written w/ Korie Burton Rott

Lyrics:
VR 1: 
Ashes
You burned the home we built; traumatic
Your cruelty just seemed so automatic
It’s tragic

Ashes
You may see tears falling from these lashes
Like a phoenix, I’ll heal all my wounds and gashes
Like magic

CH:
You probably thought when you walked out that door
That I was finished, broken, bruised, and done for
You left me without warning
I’ve cried all these tears in mourning

But in the end, you can find me
Rising 
From our ashes

Ashes
Time has done what it does lighting matches
On every single memory of us laughing
We used to have it

(CH)

BRI:
Took off my rose-colored glasses
Every dream of what we would be
I had to scrap it
And now we’re ashes

(CH)

Ashes (Work Tape)

Lyrics:

It’s funny how you loved my
Insecurities
Up until we would fight
Then you threw them
At me
I could never have done what you did
But I guess that’s where the truth of it is

You don’t get to call me a liar
When all your reactions to how I felt
Ended in fire
You don’t get to say
That my mind has reframed
I was there
Don’t you dare
Try to say we played the same game
I never would’ve treated you that way
When your worst meets my worst
It’s clear to see
Who comes in first
When it comes to cruelty
When anger comes to play
We are not the same

Ain’t it crazy how I can
Now tell
The truth about
How you really felt
About me
I could never have done what you did
But I guess that’s where the truth of it is

You don’t get to call me a liar
When all your reactions to how I felt
Ended in fire
You don’t get to say
That my mind has reframed
I was there
Don’t you dare
Try to say we played the same game
I never would’ve treated you that way
When your worst meets my worst
It’s clear to see
Who comes in first
When it comes to cruelty
When anger comes to play
We are not the same

Ain’t it crazy how razer thin
The line between love and hate is
I guess I know where you stood
The sad part is I loved you 
Like you never could

I could never have done what you did
But I guess that’s where the truth of it is
You don’t get to call me a liar
When all your reactions to how I felt
Ended in fire
You don’t get to say
That my mind has reframed
I was there
Don’t you dare
Try to say we played the same game
I never would’ve treated you that way
When your worst meets my worst
It’s clear to see
Who comes in first
When it comes to cruelty
When anger comes to play
We are not the same

I could never have done what you did
But I guess that’s where the truth of it is

We Are Not The Same

Co-written w/ Alayna Carroll

Lyrics:

You wear your baseball cap
Backwards at the gym
Practically live at work
Don’t do things on a whim
And I can’t get enough of it

And your friends say
“He’s a good guy”
He’s just busy all the time
Takes weeks for a text
Back sometimes

Shot your shot, I ain’t bulletproof
It took one look to fall for you
And other guys don’t get me like you do
They can, talk the talk I ain’t falling for
Another bland boy, I want more
Not the same girl I was before
To tell you the truth
I can’t say “no” to you

I wear that leather skirt
That makes you stare at me
Basically all my curves
Makes it easy to tease
And you can’t get enough of me

And all my friends say
“Girl, you’re down bad”
He’s the best I’ve ever had
It’s the fact you’re not mine
That drives me mad

Shot your shot, I ain’t bulletproof
It took one look to fall for you
And other guys don’t get me like you do
They can, talk the talk I ain’t falling for
Another bland boy, I want more
Not the same girl I was before
To tell you the truth
I can’t say “no” to you

Call me in the middle of the night
Say this feeling you can’t fight
Anymore

Shot your shot, I ain’t bulletproof
It took one look to fall for you
And other guys don’t get me like you do
They can, talk the talk I ain’t falling for
Another bland boy, I want more
Not the same girl I was before
To tell you the truth
I can’t say “no” to you

I can’t say “no” to you
I can’t say “no” to you

No To You (Full-Band Demo)

Lyrics:

I can make a whole room
Burst out laughin’
And I can turn them heads
Without even tryin’
But then another guy
Enters my life
And lets me all the way down
And every instance
I put down defense
I regret it somehow

If you’re gonna take the light
Out of my eyes
If you’re gonna make sure
My heart can’t tell my worth
Don’t bother calling
Leave me be
Cause you know damn well
You don’t deserve me

I’m damn good in the kitchen
That I’ve been told
And my curves make it so
That your bed never goes cold
But then another guy
Doesn’t treat me right
And lets me all the way down
And every instance
I let another one in
I regret it somehow

If you’re gonna take the light
Out of my eyes
If you’re gonna make sure
My heart can’t tell my worth
Don’t bother calling
Leave me be
Cause you know damn well
You don’t deserve me

Maybe one day I’ll find a man
Who will love the woman I am
I was made to be a wife
But all these boys just want one night.

If you’re gonna take the light
Out of my eyes
If you’re gonna make sure
My heart can’t tell my worth
Don’t bother calling
Leave me be
Cause you know damn well
You don’t deserve me

You Don’t Deserve Me

Lyrics:

God’s work
Is like a tapestry
The best side
We can’t yet see

He holds the needle
And we have faith
So we the people
Will worship His Name

God almighty father
You are all I need
In the darkness
In the desert
I’ll still sing your praise
When I’m at my weakest
In my toughest seasons
You grow me in ways
That only you can
Cause its all a part of your plan
Cause this world’s tapestry
Is in your hands

God sees
The suffering
Caused by free will
But he gave us things
And said “Know that I am God”
And “be still”

He holds the needle
And we have faith
So we the people
Will worship His Name

God almighty father
You are all I need
In the darkness
In the desert
I’ll still sing your praise
When I’m at my weakest
In my toughest seasons
You grow me in ways
That only you can
Cause its all a part of your plan
Cause this world’s tapestry
Is in your hands

He holds the needle
And we have faith
So we the people
Will worship His Name

God almighty father
You are all I need
In the darkness
In the desert
I’ll still sing your praise

God almighty father
You are all I need
In the darkness
In the desert
I’ll still sing your praise
When I’m at my weakest
In my toughest seasons
You grow me in ways
That only you can
Cause its all a part of your plan
Cause this world’s tapestry
Is in your hands

God’s Tapestry (Full-Band Demo)

Co-written w/ John Mollenhauer

Lyrics:

VR 1:
Before the boy calls
Do you buy new clothes?
Make up scenarios
For how it should go?
When you look in the mirror
Is the person you see
Who you are
Or who he wants you to be?

PRE:
Love doesn’t always 
Come right when you call
Sometimes you’ll wait
And it wont come at all

CH:
I’ve got a long, long history
Of diving too deep
Before they even miss me
I make all my plans
And build them up tall
Cause I always fall
Before the boy calls

VR 2:
Before the boy calls
Do you stare at your phone?
Wishin and hoping
He’d throw you a bone
When it hits midnight
And it still hasn’t rung yet
Do you think tomorrow
Tomorrow I bet

PRE:
Love doesn’t always 
Come right when you call
Sometimes you’ll wait
And it wont come at all

CH:
I’ve got a long, long history
Of diving too deep
Before they even miss me
I make all my plans
And build them up tall
Cause I always fall
Before the boy calls

BRI:
Sometimes you’ll find 
When you’re feeling rejected
Love might surprise you
When you least expect it.
But

CH:
I’ve got a long, long history
Of diving too deep
Before they even miss me
I make all my plans
And build them up tall
Cause I always fall
Before the boy calls

Before The Boy Calls (Full-Band Demo)

Co-written w/ MK Strother

Lyrics:

They caught that 6am
One way bus to Texas
Little shoes on little feet
A mom at her wits end
A brown-eyed dark haired girl
Just shy of seventeen
Golden cross around her neck
And a wood one on her keychain
It would’ve been so easy
To look the other way
But that brown haired girl
Asked if she needed a break

PRE:
Took that baby in her hands
Played pattycake and bakers man
A moment small but big enough
To leave a little grace and love

CH:
When you
Leave a little Jesus
Wherever you go
It mends the broken pieces
Of someone you don’t know
Cause when you
Leave a little smile
It softens the heart for a while
We all
Need a little Jesus
To remind us
There’s still good in this world

VR 2:
His daddy slammed the door
On his way in
Then all of a sudden
His folks were fighting again
He held his little brother 
Right there in his lap
As he read him the Bible
A greater torch was passed

PRE:
He could’ve locked himself 
In his room with no one else
A gesture small but big enough
To show his brother real love

CH:
When you
Leave a little Jesus
Wherever you go
It mends the broken pieces
Of someone you don’t know
Cause when you
Leave a little smile
It softens the heart for a while
We all
Need a little Jesus
To remind us
There’s still good in this world

BRI:
No matter where we go
There’s only one way home
And

CH:
When you
Leave a little Jesus
Wherever you go
It mends the broken pieces
Of someone you don’t know
Cause when you
Leave a little smile
It softens the heart for a while
We all
Need a little Jesus
To remind us
There’s still good in this world

Leave A Little Jesus (Full-Band Demo)

Lyrics:

I just got out of that 2-way truck loan
He got me into
Deleted all those texts off of my phone
And now I’m sitting back
With a .40 on my lap
Praying to guard my heart

So before you call me baby
And promise me everything
Don’t you go and start

If you don’t go to church
Bye
If you don’t see my worth
Bye
If you can’t deal 
With how I feel
Bye Bye Bye
If you don’t have friends
No
If you only see me in bed
No
If you don’t have the time to play the long game
No
Until I find a guy
That’s my type
I’ll be happy saying “No” and “Bye”

I just found myself again
Thank God I saw the light
Cause Heaven knows the way it goes
When you revolve around a guy
And now I’m sitting pretty
And my girls are all with me
Saying to guard my heart

If you don’t go to church
Bye
If you don’t see my worth
Bye
If you can’t deal 
With how I feel
Bye Bye Bye
If you don’t have friends
No
If you only see me in bed
No
If you don’t have the time to play the long game
No
Until I find a guy
That’s my type
I’ll be happy saying “No” and “Bye”

If you don’t go to church
Bye
If you don’t see my worth
Bye
If you can’t deal 
With how I feel
Bye Bye Bye
If you don’t have friends
No
If you only see me in bed
No
If you don’t have the time to play the long game
No
Until I find a guy
That’s my type
I’ll be happy saying “No” and “Bye

“No” and “Bye” (Full-Band Demo)

Lyrics:
Goin’ out with the girls tonight
Got the lip stain, boots up high
You can say what you want to
I’m getting over you

But I ain’t getting drunk as heck
Won’t be no one new in my bed
There’s still a cross around this neck

CH:
Boy, you know I wish you well
Even though you put me through all kinds of hell
I ain’t just living for myself
Yeah, despite your greed, I’m a different breed
You’re sinful heart won’t get the best of me
I hope you don’t choke
Blowing all that smoke
You already know
I’m taking the highest road

VR 2:
Jesus and the Bible taught me well
How to forgive, when this world rebels
You can do what you want to
I’m already over you

But I won’t hook up with the band
Spend all my money just to flaunt name brand
There’s still a Bible in this hand

Boy, you know I wish you well
Even though you put me through all kinds of hell
I ain’t just living for myself
Yeah, despite your greed, I’m a different breed
You’re sinful heart won’t get the best of me
I hope you don’t choke
Blowing all that smoke
You already know
I’m taking the highest road

I hope you don’t choke
Blowing all that smoke

Boy, you know I wish you well
Even though you put me through all kinds of hell
I ain’t just living for myself
Yeah, despite your greed, I’m a different breed
You’re sinful heart won’t get the best of me
I hope you don’t choke
Blowing all that smoke
You already know
I’m taking the highest road

I hope you don’t choke
Blowing all that smoke

The Highest Road (Full-Band Demo)

Lyrics:

Dear child
Don’t worry about the past
Lord knows
All the struggles you’ve had
Dear teen
Don’t worry about the mirror
Lord knows
All the ways you’ve felt inferior
Dear me
Don’t worry about the future
Lord knows
You’ll be there sooner or later

I’ve spent my life
Putting together
Puzzle pieces
And taping up 
Ones I ripped

What if I always knew
It would work out?
What if I never had
Any doubts?
Would all these little moments,
Praises that I’ve opened,
Suddenly mean so much less?
Sometimes I thank God
For what I didn’t know yet.

Dear past loves,
The ones who weren’t for me
God knows
Why we weren't meant to be
Dear boy,
That in the future I wed
God knows
Why we couldn’t meet yet.
Dear man,
Who’s gonna be the one
God knows
Why it hasn’t yet begun

What if I always knew
It would work out?
What if I never had
Any doubts?
Would all these little moments,
Love letters I’ve opened,
Suddenly mean so much less?
Sometimes I thank God
For what I didn’t know yet.

Dear little one
Up there right now
Heaven knows
Why you couldn’t come down

What if I always knew
It would work out?
What if I never had
Any doubts?
Would all these little moments,
Gender reveals I’ve opened,
Suddenly mean so much less?
Sometimes I thank God
For what I didn’t know yet.

Yeah I thank God
For what I didn’t know yet.

What I Didn’t Know Yet (Full-Band Demo)

Lyrics:

I’ve got a daughter
And a son
But you never got the chance to run
I’ve got their pictures
On my wall
But I never got to see
Whether you’d be tall

Out of wed-lock baby
I was only seventeen
And I loved your daddy
He was in the military

If things were different
And I would’ve kept you
How would our lives look like today
It doesnt help to dwell on pasts
But I can’t help that I want you back
How could something I only had for 8 weeks
Be the hole thats left in me

My gut says 
You would’ve been a boy
Before that appointment
Snuffed out my joy

Thought I had no other choice
I didn’t have much of a voice
But then again
Neither did you

If things were different
And I would’ve kept you
How would our lives look like today
It doesnt help to dwell on pasts
But I can’t help that I want you back
How could something I only had for 8 weeks
Be the hole thats left in me

I still think of you
Every February
And I still mourn who
You would have been baby

If things were different
And I would’ve kept you
How would our lives look like today
It doesnt help to dwell on pasts
But I can’t help that I want you back
How could something I only had for 8 weeks
Be the hole thats left in me

8 Weeks (Full-Band Demo)

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

Ashes (Work Tape)

Lauren Teel