Laura

[Intro]
[Acoustic guitar fingerpicking, slow and warm]

[Verse 1]
An empty mug sits on the porch rail
The October wind is turning cold and pale
You're packing boxes by the kitchen door
Sifting through the things we don't need anymore
Laura, you always knew just when to leave
Before the frost could settle on your sleeve

[Chorus]
But oh, Laura, where does the highway lead you now?
You shake your hair and whisper "anywhere, somehow"
The map is open on the driver's seat
A quiet promise in the engine's beat
I'll watch your taillights fade into the gray
Wishing I had found the words to make you stay

[Verse 2]
You found a cassette tape from ninety-nine
A handwritten label fading on the spine
We laughed about the songs we used to play
Before the years began to drift away
You slip it in your pocket with a smile
And stand there quiet on the rug a while

[Chorus]
But oh, Laura, where does the highway lead you now?
You shake your hair and whisper "anywhere, somehow"
The map is open on the driver's seat
A quiet promise in the engine's beat
I'll watch your taillights fade into the gray
Wishing I had found the words to make you stay

[Bridge]
[Tempo remains steady, drums and bass pick up energy]
There’s a world out past the county line
And I know this town was never quite your sign
So take the curves and let the wheels spin free
Just leave a little bit of light for me

[Guitar Solo]
[Melodic, clean electric guitar solo, expressive and soaring]

[Chorus]
Oh, Laura, where does the highway lead you now?
You shake your hair and whisper "anywhere, somehow"
The map is open on the driver's seat
A quiet promise in the engine's beat
I'll watch your taillights fade into the gray
Wishing I had found the words to make you stay

[Outro]
Just a quiet road ahead
And the words we left unsaid
[Acoustic guitar fades out slowly]
[End]