Derek Vanboxel

Wishing Well (Wishing You Well)

Plays: 0

Lyric only

Backstory

The idea for “Wishing Well” came from the heartbreaking side of loving someone deeply enough to finally accept that they may not choose you back. I wanted to write a song about the kind of love that is mature enough to let go, even when it hurts.

The title came from the image of a wishing well — a place where someone keeps throwing hope, prayers, and quiet wishes into the dark, hoping one day they might come true. In this song, the narrator has spent so much time wishing for that person to be theirs, only to realize the most loving thing left to do is wish them happiness, even if that happiness is with someone else.

At its heart, “Wishing Well” is about heartbreak without bitterness. It is about loving someone enough to release them, while still carrying the weight of what you hoped life could have been. I wanted it to feel honest, emotional, and devastating in a quiet way — the kind of song where the final wish is not for yourself anymore, but for the person you still love.

Lyrics

Song: Wishing Well (Wishing You Well)
Demo/Pitch Version
BMI

Verse 1
Just beyond the picket fence,
through the tall sweet grass,
Down the old dirt path
where the fireflies used to pass,
There sat a mossy well
at the edge of the wood,
You'd reach for my hand
like you always would.
Seven years old
with our pockets full of wishes,
Your mama's coins,
my mama's Sunday kisses,
You'd throw yours in laughin',
never tell a soul,
I'd close my eyes
and wish you were my whole world.

Pre-Chorus
The water never answered,
but Lord, it heard it all
Every quiet prayer
I made during the fall.

Chorus
From the wishing well,
I wished on you.
Dropped every coin,
I had into the deep dark blue.
I Wished you'd see me,
like I saw you standing there,
Boy-next-door
with the tangled hair.
Now I'm at the well again,
older and alone,
Still wishing you well,
though you're someone's home.
From a wishing well
to wishing you well

Verse 2
Junior year, midnight,
your truck in my drive,
Flowers on my wrist,
something stirrin' alive,
Prom night glitter
still caught in my hair.
You said, "One last walk,
I know just where."
We stood at that well,
in the moon's silver light.
Your jacket on my shoulders,
my heart taking flight.
I threw my token slow,
made the same old wish.
Prayed that you could feel,
what lived in all of this.
You drove me home quiet,
the radio low,
And the well kept our secret.
You just didn't know.

Pre-Chorus
The water never answered,
but Lord, it heard it all.
Every quiet prayer I made,
before the fall.

Chorus
From the wishing well,
I wished on you.
Dropped every coin,
I had into the deep dark blue.
I Wished you'd see me,
like I saw you standing there,
Boy-next-door
with the tangled hair.
Now I'm at the well again,
older and alone,
Still wishing you well,
though you're someone's home.
From a wishing well
to wishing you well

Bridge
Maybe the well,
was never mine to keep.
Maybe some wishes,
are meant to sink deep.
Resting at the bottom,
like they belong.
Beautiful and quiet,
Causing no harm.

Verse 3
Church bells ringin',
on the east side of town.
White dress in a window,
her veil coming down.
Everyone who loves you,
dressed in their best.
And I'm at the well again,
hand on my chest.
No flowers, no pennies,
just me and the moss.
Tallying up everything,
tender I've lost.
The creek running soft,
like it's trying to say.
Baby girl, let it go,
it's his wedding day.

Pre-Chorus
So I reach in my pocket,
one coin left to spend,
Don't wish for a beginning,
just wish him a happy end.
To every old wound,
and every hard night.
I close my eyes and I wish him,
a beautiful life.

Final Chorus
From the wishing well,
I wished on you.
Dropped every coin,
I had into the deep dark blue.
I Wished you'd see me,
like I saw you standing there,
boy-next-door
with the tangled hair.
Now I'm at the well again,
older and alone,
Still wishing you well,
though you're someone's home.
From a wishing well
to wishing you well

Outro
(soft, like a whisper to the water)
From a wishing well… to wishing you well.
I'm wishing you well.

NICU Guardian Angels

Plays: 0

Lyric only

Backstory

“NICU Guardian Angels” was inspired by my daughter Isabelle, who was born at 26 weeks and spent more than two months in the NICU. I am submitting this on the eve of her final discharge, with our family preparing to bring her home after a long and emotional journey.

During her stay, I saw firsthand what NICU nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and hospital staff do for babies and families every single day. There were moments where I felt helpless as a father, watching my daughter fight through things no baby should have to face, while these incredible caregivers stood watch with steady hands, calm voices, and hearts strong enough to carry families through the hardest rooms of their lives.

Just days before Isabelle was cleared to come home, we also witnessed the heartbreaking loss of a NICU baby on our floor. That moment changed me. It reminded me that not every family gets the ending they prayed for, and that so many of the smallest fighters and grieving families do not have a voice loud enough to carry their story beyond those hospital walls.

The idea for this song came from wanting to honor the heroes who stand in that gap — the ones who protect the smallest lives, comfort terrified parents, and keep showing up even when the work is heavy. “NICU Guardian Angels” is deeply personal to my family, but my hope is that it speaks for every baby, parent, caregiver, and family who has ever had to hold onto faith and hope inside a hospital room.
The experience inspired me not only to write this song, but to take songwriting seriously as a way to capture and share the moments people carry — both the beautiful ones and the trying ones. My hope is to write songs that give voice to real life, while also building something that helps me provide for my daughter and my family the best I can, no matter what it takes.

Lyrics

Song: NICU Guardian Angels

(Intro-emotional whispering)
The hallway lights never really sleep.
Just a quiet hum,
and a prayer on repeat.

(Verse 1)
Down past the doors
where the world stands still
Where hope and fear climb
Up the steepest hill
So many Tiny beds
and a thousand wires
Holding fragile hearts
While hope climbs a little higher

Mama whispers prayers
through the glass
Daddy’s holding onto
Strength he never had
But when the night feels way too long
Someone’s waiting,
And standing strong

(Chorus)
NICU guardian angels
under hospital lights
Watching over miracles
fighting for life
Counting every heartbeat,
every tiny breath.
Keeping our miracles,
One heartbeat ahead.
Heaven sends its best…
When parents can’t stay…
Watching over plastic cradles…
NICU guardian angels

(Verse 2)
Twelve hour shifts turn into sixteen.
Coffee getting cold in between.
Singing lullabies soft and low,
To babies who barely weigh a pound or so
They celebrate ounces,
like trophies won.
First open eyes,
first morning sun.
And every little victory shines
Like the brightest of stars,
in desperate times.

(Chorus)
NICU guardian angels
under hospital lights
Watching over miracles
fighting for life
Counting every heartbeat,
every tiny breath.
Keeping our miracles,
One heartbeat ahead.
Heaven sends its best…
When parents can’t stay…
Watching over plastic cradles…
NICU guardian angels

(Verse 3)
I leaned in close,
and kissed your tiny hand.
traced every line,
I don’t yet understand.
Machines were hummin’,
Like a quiet prayer.
but all I saw,
was you layin’ there.
I whispered, “Daddy loves you…
I’ll be back soon.”
Tried to be strong,
As I walked out that room.
But every step felt heavier,
than I could bear.
like leaving my heartbeat,
lyin’ in there.

(Pre-Chorus)
Yet somewhere down,
that quiet glowing hall.
Someone stays beside them
through it all!

(Chorus)
NICU guardian angels
under hospital lights
Watching over miracles
fighting for life
Counting every heartbeat,
every tiny breath.
Keeping our miracles,
One heartbeat ahead.
Heaven sends its best…
When parents can’t stay…
Watching over plastic cradles…
NICU guardian angels

(Outro)
Through the longest nights
Whispering lullaby’s and fables
NICU guardian angels

Halfway to Hallelujah

Plays: 4

Backstory

The idea for “Halfway to Hallelujah” came from picturing the people who walk into church carrying more than anyone can see. In the song, there are broken people sitting in the back pew — someone who looks one breath from giving up, someone worn down by life, and a woman in scrubs who looks like the night has taken everything out of her.

I wanted the song to show that sometimes faith does not look loud, polished, or perfect. Sometimes it is just getting through the doors. Sometimes it is sitting down with all your pain, your exhaustion, your grief, or your questions and still being willing to be there.

The title is meant to answer the feeling of being “halfway to hell” with something more hopeful. The song says that if you are broken but still showing up, still reaching, still letting yourself be seen, then maybe you are already closer to grace than you think.

Musically, I imagine it with a Memphis blues-country feel — soulful, gritty, and emotional enough for radio, but with a message that could live in a church conversation too. At its heart, “Halfway to Hallelujah” is about grace finding people in the back pew, right where they are.

Lyrics

Verse 1
Every Sunday there’s a pew, where no one dares to go
Tucked in the back, and broken, for the hearts too torn to show
Today a man slipped quietly, to the corner, head hung down.
No one dared to bother him, he never made a sound

Chorus
Sometimes halfway to hallelujah, is just getting through those doors
Sitting down with all your heavy, like you ain’t been here before
That’s the kind of strength that proves, the lord is shining through ya
Just showin’ up, you’re already… halfway to hallelujah

Verse 2
Another man drifted in late, right before the preacher spoke.
I haven’t seen him since the day his whole world went up in smoke.
He looked one breath from losin’, what little faith he had left.
Sometimes that’s the miracle, just beating darkness to that step.

(Chorus)

Verse 3
A woman wandered in gently, with her scrubs still on her skin
Hair pulled back, eyes held together, like the night had done her in.
She sat down in that same old pew, like she knew what sorrow knew
Sometimes broken finds the broken, and that’s how mercy makes its move

Bridge
On that back pew by the stained glass blue
Sat three souls trying to make it through
Then the first man rose and touched the two
Walked up front like the broken do
Put on a robe, turned, and said real slow,
“Some of y’all feel halfway to hell… but you made it here…
and that’s halfway home”

(Final Chorus)

I'll Remember (For the Both of Us)

Plays: 0

Backstory

"I'll Remember (For the Both of Us)" was written from the perspective of a wife (my mom's best friend) watching the person she loves (her husband) slowly fade from memory, while she carries the weight of everything they built together. I wanted the song to feel intimate, cinematic, and painfully human. Not just about loss, but about devotion that remains even when the other person can no longer hold onto the memories themselves. The heart of the song is the promise that love does not disappear just because memory does. One person may forget the little details, the history, the names, the places, or even the moments that shaped a lifetime, but the other person becomes the keeper of those memories. I wrote it as an emotional ballad that could live in adult contemporary, country, pop, or a cinematic space, with the focus placed on the vocal and the story. It's meant to be both devastating and beautiful, a vow to keep loving someone through the hardest kind of goodbye, even before they are fully gone.

Lyrics

VERSE1
You used to wake before the alarm,
Reach across the cold sheet just to find my arm.
Now I watch you sleep like I’m watching the tide,
Something vast and quiet pulling out with the night.
You made your coffee wrong this morning,
Two sugars when you never took a one.
I didn’t say a word.
I just stood at the sink
And let the water run.

PRE-CHORUS
There’s a photograph above the fireplace,
Your eyes so sure, your hand in mine.
Some days you stop and stare at it
Like you’re trying to remember her
And she’s standing right behind you,
Still yours…Still trying…

CHORUS
I made a vow to a man who knew my name,
Who kissed me like he meant it in the rain.
Now I love you in a language you’ve forgotten,
And I’d learn it all again.
God, I’d learn it all again.

VERSE 2
You called me by your mother’s name last Tuesday,
I set the table, said supper’s ready, love.
You looked at me like I was something borrowed,
A kindness from a stranger close enough.
I sleep beside you every night
Like a lighthouse nobody’s sailing toward.
Still I keep the light on.
That’s the vow I stored.
That’s the only vow that matters anymore.

PRE-CHORUS
Some evenings something crosses your face,
A tide coming back to the shore.
You reach across and touch my hand
Like muscle memory
Knows what the mind
Can’t hold anymore.

CHORUS
I made a vow to a man who knew my name,
Who kissed me like he meant it in the rain.
Now I love you in a language you’ve forgotten,
And I’d learn it all again.
God, I’d learn it all again.

BRIDGE
People ask me how I’m doing
And I say fine
Because what word exists, for loving someone
Who is here. And gone. At the same time?
I’m not a widow. I’m not a wife Not the way I was.
I’m something the church, never made a word for.
I’m the woman, who still sets two cups.
Who still says goodnight, my love
To a man who smiles back
Like I’m someone worth smiling at
And maybe that’s enough.
Some nights, God help me…
That has to be enough.

FINAL CHORUS
I made a vow to a man who knew my name,
I’d make it still, I’d make it every day.
I love you in a language you’ve forgotten,
But I remember.
I remember.
I will always remember
for the both of us.

Keep Going (Still Standing)

Plays: 0

Lyric only

Backstory

I wrote “Keep Going (Still Standing)” as a motivational anthem for anyone fighting through something that tests their body, heart, or spirit. I wanted the song to feel relatable across different situations: a relationship that’s been through storms, an intense workout where every step hurts, a personal battle no one else sees, or the moment before a team, athlete, or underdog has to dig deeper than they thought they could.

When I first heard the song in my head, I imagined heavy motivational drums — almost like the thump of each step forward, like a march of warriors refusing to quit. The phrase “Like Rocky and Rudy” became the emotional anchor because those characters represent grit, heart, and the kind of determination people still connect with across generations.

My goal was to write something that feels commercial enough for an artist cut, but also visual and cinematic enough for sync opportunities in TV, film, trailers, sports promos, playoff/championship moments, and comeback scenes. At its core, this song is about being bruised, tested, and tired, but still standing — and choosing to keep going anyway.

Lyrics

VERSE 1
I’ve been counted out more times than I can count.
Been dragged into the deep end and left to drown .
Over looked and under cared. Know first hand that life ain’t fair.
But I promise not to let that keep me down.

CHORUS
Cuz I keep goin, keep on rollin, like the thunder from the storm.
It doesn’t matter, if I get knocked off my feet.
I put the work in, I’m determined.
There’s a fire burnin deep inside of me.
Like Rocky and Rudy

VERSE 2
They say the hardest roads can leave their marks.
But the darkest nights show brighter stars.
Beaten down, not broken in. A soul that’s forged from grief within.
I play my cards, dealt with battle scars.

CHORUS
Cuz I keep goin, keep on rollin. Like the thunder from the storm.
It doesn’t matter if I get knocked off my feet.
I put the work in, I’m determined.
There’s a fire burnin’ deep inside of me.
Like Rocky and Rudy

BRIDGE
The fire doesn’t ask if you’re ready to burn.
The storm doesn’t wait if you're unsure.
Everything lost was a lesson learned. And I am still here.
I’m still here

FINAL CHORUS
Cuz I keep goin, keep on rollin. Like the thunder from the storm.
It doesn’t matter if I get knocked off my feet.
I put the work in, I’m determined .
There’s a fire burnin deep inside of me.
Like Rocky and Rudy

Half Sweet Tea, Half Gasoline

Plays: 0

Backstory

“Half Sweet Tea, Half Gasoline” was written specifically with The Castellows in mind — inspired by their Georgetown, Georgia roots and their move toward Nashville. The song is about carrying home with you while chasing something bigger.

The “sweet tea” represents family, Southern culture, hometown values, and the pieces of where you come from that never leave you. The “gasoline” represents movement, ambition, the highway, and the courage to follow the road when it starts calling your name.

While the song was tailored to The Castellows’ story, I also wrote it to feel relatable to young women around the time they graduate high school or college — that season when life starts opening up, dreams start getting louder, and the pull toward a bigger future becomes impossible to ignore.

This is not a song about running away from home. It is about running alive. It celebrates the idea that leaving does not mean losing yourself. Sometimes the road is not taking you away from who you are — it is leading every part of you toward who you are becoming.

Lyrics

Verse 1
I got small-town roots and a restless side
A bible verse and a neon sky
I love where I’m from, but I love that road
The way it hums, like it just knows,
Where to go

Chorus
I ain’t runnin’ away, I’m just runnin’ alive
Like a Purple Martin swarm in a summer sky
Got a screen door heart with a highway dream
Half front porch rockin’, half restless in the seams
Half Sweet Tea… Half Gasoline!

Verse 2
I got a song in my chest and a city that sings
A hand-me-down heart with brand new strings
I can still hear home in a three-part line
But them glimmerin lights keep calling’ me on…
So I go

Chorus
I ain’t runnin’ away, I’m just runnin’ alive
Like a Purple Martin swarm in a summer sky
Got a screen door heart with a highway dream
Half front porch rockin’, half restless in the seams
Half Sweet Tea… Half Gasoline!

Bridge
Half hometown heart, half highway dust
Half “yes ma’am,” half “turn it up”
Half Georgia clay, half Tennessee dream
Half sweet tea, half gasoline

Final Chorus
I ain’t runnin’ away, I’m just runnin’ alive
Like a Purple Martin swarm in a summer sky
Got a screen door heart with a highway dream
Half front porch rockin’, half restless in the seams
Half Sweet Tea… Half Gasoline!
Half Sweet Tea, Half Gasoline!

No Bars Out Here

Plays: 0

Backstory

"No Bars Out Here” came from wanting to write the kind of country song that actually makes you move again. Over the past few years, I’ve heard a lot of new country music that I respect, but not much that made me instantly nod my head, turn it up, and feel that Friday-night adrenaline the way this song did while I was writing and producing it.

The idea started with the double meaning of “no bars” no cell service, no downtown nightlife, no rules, no pressure, just a backroad party where the connection is real because nobody’s staring at their phone. I wanted it to feel modern, high-energy, and fun, but still grounded in a country lifestyle people recognize: trucks, friends, loud music, open fields, and getting away from everything.

This song is built to feel like an escape. It’s about leaving the noise behind and finding the kind of place where “no bars” becomes the whole point. The more I worked on it, the more it gave me that pumped-up feeling I’ve been missing from a lot of recent country releases. Something rowdy, hooky, and instantly alive.

I wrote “No Bars Out Here” with the goal of creating a song that could hit hard live, connect fast with a crowd, and bring back that head-nodding energy that makes country music feel fun, loud, and unforgettable.

Lyrics

Verse 1
Out where the city lights fade
Past the last bar sign
Down a Bastrop Backroad
Nobody’s gonna find
Where the phones go dead
And the night comes alive
Ain’t got a signal,
But we got a spark
You can see us from heaven
When the field gets dark

Chorus
Ain’t no bars out here
But we still get loud
No last calls, just a bonfire crowd
No blue-light glow, no closing time
Just a star filled sky
And everything feels right
If the world comes lookin’,
Tell ’em we’re good right here
Ain’t no bars out here

Verse 2
Tailgates down,
Boots kicking up smoke
Everybody laughing
At an inside joke
More connected than we’ve been in months
With a half-burnt moon
And a cooler full of us

(Chorus)

Verse 3
No one taking pictures,
No one trying too hard
Just girls in the headlights,
Boys on guitars
Somewhere between gone
And finally found
We got the whole damn field
Singing and howlin’ loud

(Chorus)

Bridge
Real humans, Real music
Where the connections are clear
Worldwide troubles
Can’t reach us out here

(Final Chorus)

The List

Plays: 0

Backstory

“The List” was written about the invisible timeline so many women are handed before they even realize they’re carrying it. Somewhere between becoming a teenager and stepping into adulthood, the world starts quietly telling them what their life is supposed to look like: get the degree, find the ring, say “I do,” have babies, build the home, keep smiling, and don’t fall behind.

At its heart, the song is about a woman realizing she has spent her life trying to live by expectations written in other people’s voices. The pressure may have come from family, tradition, small-town culture, or society in general, but the weight becomes personal. She has made it look light for years, even while questioning whether she is keeping up, falling behind, or losing herself in the process.

The emotional turn of the song comes when she understands that “The List” was never really hers to begin with. She does not owe the world a perfect timeline, a white dress, a front porch, or a life that checks every box. She is not late. She is not lost. She is already enough.

I wrote “The List” as a reminder that there is no single right way for a woman to grow. It is a song about releasing inherited pressure, choosing self-worth over expectation, and finally being able to say, with peace instead of performance, “I’m alright.”

Lyrics

Verse 1
Somewhere between 16 and 29, an invisible hour glass arrives
Get a degree, get a ring, say “I do”, don’t waste a day
Raise some babies of your own… Build a home

Chorus
There’s a list I’ve been living by, written in voices that are not mine
A list so heavy it can strain your life, I’ma be alright
The kind of weight I made look light. Time keeps slipping past my eyes
Am I keeping up or falling behind? I’ma be alright

Verse 2
Mama learned it from her momma and carried it within
Said love someone right and then love them again.
Truth is I loved everyone else, more than I ever loved myself.
Maybe that’s been the problem all along. I’ve been looking at The List all wrong

(Chorus)

Bridge
Little girl, you don’t owe the town
A white dress, a front porch, a settling down
You’re not late, you’re not lost
You’re worth more than every check in every box
Take a breath, let it go
There ain’t one right way for a woman to grow
You’re already enough. You were always enough

Final Chorus
There’s a list I’ve been living by. Written in voices that are not mine
A list so heavy it can bend a life. But I’m alright
The kind of weight I dressed in smiles
Had me chasing someone else’s timeline
I ain’t keeping up, I ain’t falling behind
I’m alright
Yeah I’m alright

Good Vibes & Yee-Haws

Plays: 0

Lyric only

Backstory

I wrote “This Summer” as a reminder that summer is supposed to feel like a deep breath. Life gets heavy, the world gets serious, and sometimes people forget how important it is to laugh loud, show up for each other, and make memories while we still can.
The song is about more than cold drinks, bonfires, rivers, and dive bars. It’s about gathering the people you love, raising one for the ones who aren’t here anymore, and letting yourself be a little ridiculous in the best way. I wanted it to feel like a whole summer night packed into one song: friends around a fire, music playing, muddy boots, lake reflections, and that feeling where nobody has much, but everybody feels rich for a few hours.
Musically, I pictured a laid-back country summer anthem with a little beachy groove and party energy, something that blends the good-time feel of Niko Moon, the sunny looseness of Jake Owen and Kenny Chesney, with a splash of 311 and Dirty Heads energy. Country at the heart, but with a warm, feel-good, windows-down spirit.
At its core, “This Summer” is about good friends, gone friends, dumb luck, and choosing joy while we’ve got the chance. It’s silly on purpose, but the heart underneath it is real. Sometimes the best medicine in a serious world is a bonfire song, all night long, and a few good vibes and yee-haws.

Lyrics

Verse 1
When summertime comes to town
I crack a couple cold ones,
Tell it to stay awhile
See this neck needs a little more red
And these mountains need a little more blue
The girls come out wearing white
Kinda see through, dark shades and daisy dukes

Chorus
This summer ima crack a bunch of cold ones loud
Gather all my buddies, make the gone ones proud
Find me a view where the water falls
Float down a river in just my overalls
Take a couple shots for the ones in the stars
Hit up every single local dive bar
Cuz this summer's full of bonfire songs, all night long, and best of all…
Good vibes and Yee-Haws!

Verse 2
We light a fire as the daylight fades
Tailgates down, guitars get played
She's sippin' peach whiskey, feet in the creek
Then she walks on over using me as a seat
That full bright moon starts kissing the lake
Got her dancin' like it's spring break
Cutoff tees and muddy boots
Yeah, we're raisin' hell under a sky that's violet blue

(Chorus)

Bridge
Got sunburn lines like farmer's tan art
Gas station shades and a neon heart
We ride dirty in lifted trucks
Every turn's a toast to pure dumb luck
Old dogs barkin', new flames sparkin'
Chasin' that freedom from dusk till dawn
We ain't got much, but we're livin' fine
Sippin' life while we still got time

(Final Chorus)

Second Favorite Song

Plays: 0

Backstory

“Second Favorite Song” came from the idea that sometimes the songs we love most are not the ones we show the world. They are the ones we play alone in the car, on the way to work, driving home after a long day, or out on a back road when nobody is watching.

This song is about wanting to matter to someone without taking over the things that already make them happy. It is not about needing to be their anthem, their whole world, or the song everybody knows they love. It is about wanting to be the one they turn up when their guard is down. The one that brings out the version of them nobody else gets to see.

To me, “second favorite song” means something deeper than second place. It is the private favorite. The hidden one. The song tied to freedom, honesty, windows down, armor off, and singing full and strong when the rest of the world disappears.

At its heart, this is a love song about respecting someone’s space, loving them without trying to own them, and hoping to become part of the truest version of who they are.

Lyrics

VERSE 1
When you’re on your way to work
Or cruisin’ your way back home
When it’s just you and the road
And nobody’s on the phone
You reach for that one song
You never have to explain
Turn it up till the whole world
Disappears again

CHORUS
I don’t want to be your anthem
Don’t need to be your prayer
Just the one you turn up louder
Singing like you don’t care
I want the version of you
That nobody else gets to see
The one you sing along to
Full and strong
I want to be your second favorite song

VERSE 2
Favorites are for Friday nights
And showing off to your friends
But your second song is your fingers
Out the window playing with the wind
Armor tucked in the backseat
Your dashboard anthem on repeat

(CHORUS)

VERSE 3
I want to be the back roads you take
Outta your way
Chasing a sunset view
After a long hard day
Where the crickets sing along
And your voice can do no wrong
I wanna be, I wanna be,
Your second favorite song

(CHORUS)

OUTRO
The one you sing along to
Full and strong
I want to be your second favorite song

Mama Don't Back Down

Plays: 0

Backstory

“Mama Don’t Back Down” is a song about the kind of strength that does not always look polished. It is the baby on the hip, the dog making a mess, coffee on the floor, laundry piling up, kids wearing her thin, and still finding a way to laugh, love, pray, and keep moving.

This song is not about a perfect mother. It is about a real one. The kind who has every reason to feel overwhelmed, but keeps choosing faith over fear. She may have tears in the mirror and rain on the windshield, but there is still an amen burning underneath her skin.

At its heart, “Mama Don’t Back Down” is an anthem for the moms who carry more than people see. The ones who hold the house together, love through exhaustion, and find their strength in the blessings around them. It is gritty, joyful, faith-filled, and honest, because sometimes toughness looks like laughing at the mess, turning the music up, and walking back in with your head held high.

Lyrics

CHORUS
Mama don’t back down
When the goin’ gets tough
Hallelujah heart
beatin’ like a snare drum
Ima’ keep my stride
With my eyes to the clouds
More faith than fear
Mama don’t back down

VERSE 1
Baby on the hip
Hip-hop on the speaker
Dog’s raisin’ Cain
With a chewed-up squeaker
Coffee hits the floor, she just laughs out loud
Drop it like it’s hot. Mama don’t back down

(CHORUS)

VERSE 2
Little shoes scattered
By the front door rug
She’s folding up laundry
And dishing up love
Papa’s working late
Kids are wearing her thin
But there’s an amen burning
Underneath her skin

BRIDGE
Rain on the windshield
Like tears in the mirror
She’s got enough reasons
To let the dark draw nearer
But that book by the bed
Where she bows her head
Reminds her of the blessings
She has all around…
Mama don’t back down

(CHORUS)

OUTRO
Pulls in the drive
Classic Rock turned loud
Mama don’t back down

(FINAL CHORUS)

Soliciting

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Backstory

I wanted the song to feel sharp, honest, and a little dangerous in the way Miranda Lambert can be, while still carrying the heart, strength, and storytelling of Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. The main character is a woman who thought she was leaving her town behind for good. She had pride, plans, and every reason to believe she was bigger than the place that raised her. But life humbled her, and she had to come back home to the very people waiting to talk about it.
At first, the song feels like she is firing back at the town. She is calling out the judgment, the fake righteousness, and the way people can hide gossip behind church clothes and coffee cups. But underneath all that attitude is someone who is hurting, trying to stand tall while everybody else is watching her fall.
The redemption comes at the very end. Her walk of shame becomes a walk to church. The armor comes off. The fight turns into surrender. What looked like a song about gossip becomes a song about grace.
That last line, “Jesus is my business. And I’m here soliciting,” is the turn I built the whole song around. It takes the hook somewhere unexpected. She is no longer defending herself to the town. She is bringing her brokenness to God.
To me, “Soliciting” is a song about being talked about, humbled, judged, and still finding the courage to walk straight into grace.

Lyrics

VERSE 1
We threw our tassels in the air,
And I was gone before it landed.
This town had nothing left to offer me,
So I left there empty handed.
By the time my shadow caught up to me
I had to pull up my stakes and leave.
My tail tucked and my pride in check
Headed to where coffee cups pour judgement

CHORUS
It’s my walk of shame.
Not your gossip hall of fame.
Why don’t you climb down off that steeple
And start actin’ like real people.
You spread butter less than words
All you Chatty Cathys and Dickey birds
So y’all go ahead and quit your whispering
If my business was a business,
you’d be soliciting

VERSE 2
She was starin' from across the diner
Looked away when I noticed
The whispers followed like a shadow
Every table fully posted
Before my boots hit the gravel,
The whole town had a version of my story
Head up, coffee getting cold
In a town that trades in someone else’s glory

(CHORUS)

BRIDGE
Sunday morn’ my walk of shame,
Turns into a walk to church down main.
Their eyes like six shooters barkin’
All those saints just kept on talkin’.
Eyes went pew across the pews.
As I made my way across the room.

(CHORUS)

OUTRO
I take one look at the cross,
And I take my armor off.
My shadow by my side,
As tears fell from my eyes.
I bow my head and begin whispering
“Jesus is my business. And I’m here soliciting.”

About

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Wishing Well (Wishing You Well)

NICU Guardian Angels

Halfway to Hallelujah

I'll Remember (For the Both of Us)

Keep Going (Still Standing)

Half Sweet Tea, Half Gasoline

No Bars Out Here

The List

Good Vibes & Yee-Haws

Second Favorite Song

Mama Don't Back Down

Soliciting