Truck, Mud, River (Cash Owings and Seven Rupp trib

[Intro – gentle acoustic guitar strums, faint fiddle hum] Westminster road’s got a quiet hush December sun fades too fast, too hush [Verse 1 – slow, plucked acoustic guitar, soft snare tap] Five young kids in a beat-up pick-up Rollin’ down that road they thought they knew Three made it out when the metal gave way Two stayed lost where the water grew [Chorus – swelling fiddle, harmonica wail, layered vocal harmonies] Oh, only to think if that truck didn’t go Truck, mud, river in Westminster town We all wish it didn’t turn out that way Wish they never veered off the ground [Verse 2 – acoustic guitar picks up, subtle bass line] They talked of fires they’d fight, touchdowns they’d score Dreams written bright behind their eyes Too young to leave this world so soon Two months gone but it still feels like last night [Chorus – intensified fiddle, stronger drum beat, emotional vocals] Oh, only to think if that truck didn’t go Truck, mud, river in Westminster town We all wish it didn’t turn out that way Wish they never veered off the ground [Verse 3 – softer guitar, quiet harmonica undercurrent] Francis Scott Key halls still echo their names Laughs that linger where lockers stand That fateful December afternoon Took two souls we can’t bring back again [Chorus – full band swell, raw, powerful vocals] That truck went truck, mud, river in that order Down into the Westminster cold dark deep Oh, only to think if they walked away Fighting fires, scoring touchdowns, living their dreams [Verse 4 – urgent acoustic strums, building fiddle tension] I wish I was there with the spreaders in hand Cuttin’ through the metal to pull them out Wish I’d heard that call when the radio blared Before the river swallowed what we can’t live without [Spoken Word – quiet, reverent, no instrumental backing] Rest in peace brothers. We’ll never forget you. [Outro – fading acoustic guitar, final fiddle note, gentle harmonica fade] Westminster road still holds that day Your light stays bright, we’ll keep it that way