The Dust Settles Down

Intro
(Acoustic guitar riff with subtle pedal steel swell)
(Bass and soft kick drum enter)
​[Verse 1]
There’s a coat paint peeling on the porch front door
And an old pair of boots sitting on the floor
I still turn the key out of habit every night
Looking for your silhouette in the hallway light
Found your favorite coffee mug sitting on the shelf
Guess I’m still learning how to live by myself
​[Pre-Chorus]
(Fiddle builds, kick drum steady)
The clock on the wall just keeps ticking along
And the radio’s playing our favorite old song
​[Chorus]
(Full band drops in, driving rhythm, soaring pedal steel)
And the dust settles down on a house full of memories
Whispering words that you used to say to me
I’m holding on tight to the shadow you left behind
Trying to clear out the corners of my mind
Yeah, the sun still comes up, but the world looks gray
Just trying to get through another yesterday
​[Verse 2]
(Acoustic guitar steady, subtle electric guitar fills)
Saw your mama at the grocery store downtown
She asked how I was doing since you left this town
I put on a smile and said I’m doing fine
Didn’t tell her how I’m losing track of time
Counting up the hours since you walked out that door
Standing in the places where we used to be before
​[Pre-Chorus]
(Fiddle builds, kick drum steady)
The clock on the wall just keeps ticking along
And the radio’s playing our favorite old song
​[Chorus]
(Full band, high energy)
And the dust settles down on a house full of memories
Whispering words that you used to say to me
I’m holding on tight to the shadow you left behind
Trying to clear out the corners of my mind
Yeah, the sun still comes up, but the world looks gray
Just trying to get through another yesterday
​[Guitar & Fiddle Solo]
(8-bar dual solo: Melodic pedal steel leading into a crisp fiddle break)
​[Bridge]
(Stripped back to acoustic guitar and soft kick drum)
They say time heals everything, gives you room to breathe
But nobody told me how hard it’d be to leave...
The ghosts in this hallway behind
​[Chorus]
(Full dynamic explosion, emotional vocals)
Where the dust settles down on a house full of memories
Whispering words that you used to say to me
I’m holding on tight to the shadow you left behind
Trying to clear out the corners of my mind
Yeah, the sun still comes up, but the world looks gray
Just trying to get through another yesterday
​[Outro]
(Guitar fades down, pedal steel cries softly out)
Yeah, another yesterday...
Just getting through...
(Single acoustic chord ring out)
Fade Out