I Ain’t Outta Road

[Intro — instrumental: lone acoustic guitar and warm blues harmonica] [Spoken — Bubba, mature male Southern voice] Some days will sure test a man. But a hard day don't get to write the last page. [Verse 1 — Bubba solo] Woke up with a whole week's worries on my chest Coffee getting cold, and I hadn't even dressed The plans I made on Sunday fell apart by half past nine I sat out on the porch and watched the shadows of the pines Didn't hear no thunder, didn't see a shining sign Just felt enough of peace to face the next hill I would climb [Chorus — Bubba solo, warm uplifting gospel-country] I ain't out of road, I ain't out of days Still got a reason to lift my hands in praise I might move slowly, but I don't walk alone God knows every turn when I can't find my way home There's dust upon my boots, there's wear upon my soul But the Lord is walking with me, and I ain't out of road [Verse 2 — Bubba solo, close and intimate] I used to call it strength when I'd carry every load Keep the hurt behind a smile so nobody ever knew Then the things I thought would hold me all came loose and fell away And I had to learn that asking ain't the same as giving way Turns out a man can bend and still be standing tall If he leaves a little room for the One who sees it all [Chorus — Bubba solo, richer organ and pedal steel] I ain't out of road, I ain't out of days Still got a reason to lift my hands in praise I might move slowly, but I don't walk alone God knows every turn when I can't find my way home There's dust upon my boots, there's wear upon my soul But the Lord is walking with me, and I ain't out of road [Instrumental — soulful harmonica leads, pedal steel answers, piano fills] [Bridge — stripped down to piano, solo male] I can't turn yesterday around I can't make tomorrow clear But I've got breath to use right now And I know that God is near So I'll loosen up my grip On the things I can't control Put one foot before the other And keep traveling down this road [Final Chorus — full Holler gospel-blues lift, Bubba solo] I ain't out of road, I ain't out of days Still got a grateful heart and a song of praise Some miles come easy, some will make you groan But God ain't ever left me to walk them on my own There's dust upon my boots, but there's fire in my soul And the Lord is walking with me, and I ain't out of road [Outro — soften to acoustic and harmonica] [Spoken — Bubba] I ain't finished. I'm just getting started. And All Is Well. [End]

[Instrumental intro — Holler Heartbeat played by harmonica and acoustic guitar, E7 G6 A7 B7] [Verse 1 — ONE MAN ONLY] The road outside my window has a way of calling me But I know a little house where I can always come and be There's an old chair on the porch and a light above the stairs For anybody carrying a burden they can't bear [Chorus — ONE MAN ONLY] Keep that porch light burning When the shadows cross the hill You don't have to know the answers You can just be welcome still I can't straighten every highway I can't make the bad days end But I'll keep that porch light burning For a neighbor or a friend [Verse 2 — ONE MAN ONLY] I've had mornings full of questions, I've had nights that wouldn't quit And I've sat there with my coffee, trying to make some sense of it Then the sound of birds at daybreak broke the worry into two Like the Lord was gently saying, "There's another day for you" [Chorus — ONE MAN ONLY] Keep that porch light burning When the shadows cross the hill You don't have to know the answers You can just be welcome still I can't straighten every highway I can't make the bad days end But I'll keep that porch light burning For a neighbor or a friend [Instrumental — Porch Light Rise Eadd9 C#m7 Aadd9 Bsus4 B7; blues harmonica solo, pedal steel answer] [Bridge — ONE MAN ONLY, acoustic piano] What I give ain't much to look at Just an open door and time But a little honest kindness Can be all a heart can find [Final Chorus — ONE MAN ONLY] Keep that porch light burning When the shadows cross the hill You don't have to know the answers You can just be welcome still I can't straighten every highway But I'll share the road I'm in Keep that porch light burning Let the morning find a friend [Spoken — SAME MALE ONLY] Come on up. There's room. [End]

[Instrumental intro — Holler Roll-Up G6 Em7 Cadd9 D7, slap bass and harmonica] [Spoken — male solo] Look up there. That's a hill, not a dead end. [Verse 1] Had a tire going flat on a two-lane stretch A pocket full of nothin' and a shirt full of sweat Looked at that long uphill, said, "Here we go again" Then I laughed at the road like I was meeting an old friend [Chorus] The hill ain't the end, it's only rising ground You don't know what's beyond it till you walk on up and look around When the old wheels squeak, let the whole world hear 'em sing You can make a fine old song out of a hard and stubborn thing The hill ain't the end, no sir, the hill ain't the end [Verse 2] Took a wrong turn once, thought I'd lost my name Spent too many years trying to pin it on blame But a man can change direction without changing where he's from I was born for a new beginning, and I reckon one has come [Chorus] The hill ain't the end, it's only rising ground You don't know what's beyond it till you walk on up and look around When the old wheels squeak, let the whole world hear 'em sing You can make a fine old song out of a hard and stubborn thing The hill ain't the end, no sir, the hill ain't the end [Instrumental — harmonica and piano over Holler Roll-Up, then stop-time] [Bridge — male solo] One foot, then another A little breath, a little grace I'm not racing with my brother I'm just finding my own pace [Final chorus] The hill ain't the end, it's only rising ground You don't know what's beyond it till you walk on up and look around I'm still laughing, still learning, still got songs I want to sing God can make a brand-new morning out of almost anything The hill ain't the end, no sir, the hill ain't the end [Spoken outro] Like 90 Going North! [End]

[Intro — signature Holler Side-Step G6 G13sus4 C9 Cm6 G6, slow soulful electric guitar] [Verse 1] I kept a list of all the things I couldn't understand The ones who turned away from me, the ways life changed my plans I wore that list like winter, kept it folded in my coat Till every time I tried to sing, it caught inside my throat [Chorus] Someday on this side of grace I'll learn to love the road I'm on I don't have to win each argument Or keep a score of every wrong I'm setting down the weight I held And giving all my fears a place To fall like leaves into the earth Someday on this side of grace [Verse 2] The morning found me sitting where the first birds come to sing I realized an open hand can hold a finer thing Than all that bitter certainty I dragged from mile to mile And peace walked in without a word and stayed there for a while [Chorus] Someday on this side of grace I'll learn to love the road I'm on I don't have to win each argument Or keep a score of every wrong I'm setting down the weight I held And giving all my fears a place To fall like leaves into the earth Someday on this side of grace [Instrumental — Side-Step minor turnaround on organ, blues harmonica solo] [Bridge — piano stripped, solo male] Maybe that someday is today Maybe it starts with letting go I don't need to know how every chapter ends To let the next page show [Final chorus — warm full band] Right here on this side of grace I'm learning to love the road I'm on I don't have to win each argument And I won't keep count of wrong My hands are free, my heart can rest The sunrise finds a quieter place I'm finally walking with my eyes up Right here on this side of grace [End]

[Intro — fingerpicked guitar plays Holler Lantern Turn G6 Bbmaj7 Cadd9 Cm6 G/D E7 A7 D7 G6] [Verse 1] There's a bend along the foothills where the highway disappears And the trees stand like old neighbors who've been watching all these years I was driving with my worries and a head too full of noise Till the late sun crossed the branches like a thousand golden coins [Chorus] There's light through the pines There's room to breathe again The shadows can't stay standing When the morning's rolling in I don't know every answer But I know where hope begins With a little light through the pines And a prayer upon the wind [Verse 2] I remembered all the mornings that I thought I'd never see And the people who kept loving when I had no words to speak Then I pulled beside the shoulder, let the engine settle down Just to hear the quiet tell me there is goodness all around [Chorus] There's light through the pines There's room to breathe again The shadows can't stay standing When the morning's rolling in I don't know every answer But I know where hope begins With a little light through the pines And a prayer upon the wind [Instrumental — full nine-chord Holler Lantern Turn, fiddle, harmonica] [Bridge — single male solo] Nothing says the path gets easy Nothing says there won't be rain But the trees let daylight through them And I'll learn to do the same [Final chorus] There's light through the pines There's room to breathe again The shadows can't stay standing When the morning's rolling in I'll be grateful for the miles And the chances Heaven sends For that little light through the pines And the prayer upon the wind [End]

[Verse 1] An old screen door swung wide when I came up the hill No one asked me where I'd been or if I could pay the bill Just an old friend with a coffee pot and room enough to sit I saw what mercy looks like in the small and quiet bits [Chorus] There's an open door on Sunday, there's an open door tonight There's a little patch of welcome in the middle of this life I ain't coming with an answer, I ain't coming with a plan Just a thankful heart and muddy boots and God's love in my hands [Verse 2] I used to shut the windows when the storms came passing through Now I leave one light a-burning for a soul who's hurting too The road don't need a hero and the world don't need my pride Just an open door and somewhere safe to set the load aside [Chorus] There's an open door on Sunday, there's an open door tonight There's a little patch of welcome in the middle of this life I ain't coming with an answer, I ain't coming with a plan Just a thankful heart and muddy boots and God's love in my hands [Bridge] There's a place for every traveler, an old chair and a song You don't have to earn your welcome, you can rest here all night long [Final Chorus] There's an open door on Sunday, there's an open door tonight There's a little patch of welcome in the middle of this life I ain't coming with an answer, I ain't coming with a plan Just a thankful heart and muddy boots and God's love in my hands [End]

[Intro — Holler Homecoming turnaround, harmonica and piano] [Verse 1 — male solo] Four thirty in the morning, I was staring at the wall Thinking every small mistake had somehow grown ten feet tall Put the kettle on and listened to the house begin to wake And a sparrow started singing like the world could stand a break [Chorus] A hard day ain't a lifetime, a dark cloud ain't the sky One bad turn don't mean the road is where your hope goes off to die Open up that old screen door, let the fresh air find your face A hard day ain't a lifetime, and tomorrow's got some grace [Verse 2 — male solo] There were months I chased a number, there were nights I chased a name Trying hard to make a trophy out of something born in shame Now I'm learning how to show up, do the little work in front A hundred miles of worrying never moved a wheel one inch [Chorus] A hard day ain't a lifetime, a dark cloud ain't the sky One bad turn don't mean the road is where your hope goes off to die Open up that old screen door, let the fresh air find your face A hard day ain't a lifetime, and tomorrow's got some grace [Instrumental — full Holler Homecoming turnaround, G6 B7 Em7 C9 Cm6 G6/D E7 A7 D7 G6, electric lead] [Bridge — strip to organ and male solo] If today is all I have, there's still a little love to give A little kindness in my hands is a better way to live [Final chorus — solo with joyful full band] A hard day ain't a lifetime, a dark cloud ain't the sky One bad turn don't mean the road is where your hope goes off to die Throw the windows open wide, let a brand-new daylight in A hard day ain't a lifetime, let the morning start again [End]

[Intro — Holler Waltz Turn 3/4 fiddle and guitar, male chuckle] [Verse 1 — Bubba solo] These boots have touched some gravel And they've stood in plenty rain They've waited in the doorway For the hurt to ease away But the kitchen has a rhythm When the coffee starts to pour And I can hear an old-time waltz On the little wooden floor [Chorus — 3/4 country waltz] These boots know how to dance Though they've stumbled now and then There's a little song inside me And it's coming round again One, two, three, and turn toward daylight Let the heart take one more chance I ain't finished with the music These boots know how to dance [Verse 2] A man can carry silence Like a suitcase filled with stone Till a simple tune reminds him That the world is not all wrong I don't need a fancy ballroom Or a ribbon on my sleeve Just a patch of floor beneath me And a reason to believe [Chorus] These boots know how to dance Though they've stumbled now and then There's a little song inside me And it's coming round again One, two, three, and turn toward daylight Let the heart take one more chance I ain't finished with the music These boots know how to dance [Instrumental — full Holler Waltz Turn, fiddle/steel, NO vocals] [Bridge — male solo, barely above a whisper] Sometimes the bravest thing Is to find a song in spring After you've been walking Through the winter of everything [Final chorus — solo male, fiddle and harp swell] These boots know how to dance Though they've stumbled now and then There's a little song inside me And it's coming round again One, two, three, and turn toward daylight Let the heart take one more chance The Lord keeps time beside me These boots know how to dance [Outro — hum by male solo, fiddles fade] [End]

[Intro — clean guitar plays Holler Side-Step] [Verse 1 — Bubba solo] I sat down with my memories like old men on a porch Every one had an opinion, every one had brought a torch Till I noticed all that arguing was happening in me And the fire I kept protecting wouldn't let my own heart breathe [Chorus] Let the anger leave the room You don't have to send it flowers You don't have to make a home For a hurt that took your hours I can wish a soul some mercy And let yesterday be through God, teach these hands to open Let the anger leave the room [Verse 2] I can't change another person, can't rewrite a mother's tears Can't turn back the clock and live again those long and restless years But I can quit rehearsing all the words I wish I'd said And leave that empty argument for quietness instead [Chorus] Let the anger leave the room You don't have to send it flowers You don't have to make a home For a hurt that took your hours I can wish a soul some mercy And let yesterday be through God, teach these hands to open Let the anger leave the room [Harmonica instrumental — G6 G13sus4 C9 Cm6 G6, pause on Cm6] [Bridge — stripped piano, male solo] I don't call the wrong thing right I just won't carry it tonight There's a better song to sing When I loosen everything [Final chorus — male solo, rich organ] Let the anger leave the room And let the morning have its hour There is peace I cannot purchase There is grace I cannot prove I can love without pretending What was broken never bruised God, keep this heart wide open Let the anger leave the room [End]

[Intro — Holler Roll-Up played on bright guitar, quick slap bass, train harmonica] [Spoken — Bubba solo] Well, would you look at that! I got another morning. [Verse 1] Got a little mud upon my trousers Got a list of things I didn't do There's a squeak beneath the porch step And a hole in my old left shoe But the sun came through the window Like a note I almost missed So I put the grumbling down a minute And I thanked the Lord for this [Chorus] Shake that dust off, kick the gravel loose You ain't got to wear yesterday like a ball and chain and noose Clap your hands twice, let that old harp blow There's still a whole lot of living down the road you've yet to go Shake that dust off, let your good heart show [Verse 2] I have walked around a problem Like a hound around a tree Till I figured out the circle Was a fence built up by me So I opened up the gate latch Let the cool air find my face Took one step without a reason But to keep a little faith [Chorus] Shake that dust off, kick the gravel loose You ain't got to wear yesterday like a ball and chain and noose Clap your hands twice, let that old harp blow There's still a whole lot of living down the road you've yet to go Shake that dust off, let your good heart show [Instrumental — extended harmonica/piano call and response over Roll-Up, stop-time] [Bridge — spoken rhythm solo] No, I ain't got a trophy No, I ain't got a crown But I've got two good hands To pick my neighbor up off the ground [Final chorus — solo male, full live band] Shake that dust off, kick the gravel loose I ain't gonna wear yesterday like a pair of worn-out shoes Clap your hands twice, let that old harp blow There's still a whole lot of living down the road I've yet to go Shake that dust off, let your good heart show [End]

[Intro — sparse fingerpicked guitar, wind in leaves] [Verse 1] Some miles pass in conversation Some miles pass without a sound Some days I can see the whole way Some days I just watch the ground There's a creek beside the gravel And a red hawk riding high And I don't need to name a blessing To be thankful passing by [Chorus — Porch Light Rise, solo male] Some miles are prayers without a word A quiet heart is sometimes all that's heard When I've nothing left to offer And I've nothing left to prove I can walk into the morning With the Lord in every move Some miles are prayers, and this one is too [Verse 2] I used to fill the silence With a hundred little plans Till I found the world kept spinning Without help from my two hands Now I hear the branches moving And the gravel 'neath my feet There is more to life than hurrying Toward a finish I can't see [Chorus — solo male] Some miles are prayers without a word A quiet heart is sometimes all that's heard When I've nothing left to offer And I've nothing left to prove I can walk into the morning With the Lord in every move Some miles are prayers, and this one is too [Instrumental — harmonica over Porch Light Rise, plaintive steel] [Bridge — hush, solo male] I will notice what is here Let the racing thoughts go by Not every question needs an answer Not each cloud a reason why [Final chorus — solo male, subtle organ swell] Some miles are prayers without a word A quiet heart is sometimes all that's heard I don't need to earn this sunrise I don't need a grand review I can meet the next small moment With a heart that's kind and true Some miles are prayers, and this one is too [End]

[Intro — porch screen door, two footsteps, harmonica Holler Heartbeat call, E7 G6 A7 B7] [Spoken — Bubba male solo] If you came looking for the ending, friend, you took a wrong turn. [Verse 1 — Holler Heartbeat, male solo] There's a little more gray above my collar And a whole lot less I need to own I have made peace with a few old questions That used to follow me home I've seen a dark room turn to daylight I've heard the quiet change its tune And as long as that old clock keeps ticking I ain't calling it afternoon [Chorus — Porch Light Rise, solo male] I'm not finished yet There's a song I haven't sung There's a kindness left to offer There's a bell that hasn't rung When the road bends out of sight I'm gonna follow where it leads I've got a heart still learning freedom And a little more faith than I need I'm not finished, no, I'm not finished yet [Verse 2 — Holler Heartbeat] I don't need the loudest thunder To remind me I am here I can find a world of wonder In the small things drawing near Little dog beside the screen door Coffee steam and morning sun Every day can be a beginning Even when the race ain't won [Chorus — Porch Light Rise] I'm not finished yet There's a song I haven't sung There's a kindness left to offer There's a bell that hasn't rung When the road bends out of sight I'm gonna follow where it leads I've got a heart still learning freedom And a little more faith than I need I'm not finished, no, I'm not finished yet [Bridge — quiet acoustic, solo male] Thank You for the road behind me Thank You for the road ahead Thank You for the hands that helped me And the words I never said Teach me how to walk more gently Teach me when to rest Make the next mile worth the taking And I'll give that mile my best [Instrumental break — shift to Holler Roll-Up G6 Em7 Cadd9 D7, harmonica, rolling honky tonk piano, stomp and clap] [Final chorus — return Porch Light Rise Eadd9 C#m7 Aadd9 Bsus4 B7, full band, solo male] I'm not finished yet There's a song I haven't sung There's a kindness left to offer There's a bell that hasn't rung Let that road run out before me Let that old front porch light shine I'm not finished, I'm just getting started And there's still a song that's mine [Spoken outro — Bubba SOLO, after band stop] Like 90 Going North! And All Is Well. [End]