Ken was the kind of man whose voice could melt hearts and whose smile could light up a room. A country singer with a dream, he spent his days on stage, playing to crowds who loved his charm and smooth, gravelly tone. But behind the scenes, his life was far from the picture-perfect country song.

Then there was Ashley. She was stunning—dark hair that danced in the wind, bright eyes that could see right through you, and a sharp wit that left an impression long after she’d walked away. She wasn’t your typical small-town girl. Ashley had been through her fair share of heartache and disappointment, and it showed in the way she carried herself. She had dreams once, but life had taken those dreams and replaced them with the cold reality of a heart that had been broken too many times.

Ken met her at a bar one night after a show. She stood out from the crowd, her beauty undeniable, but it was her attitude that drew him in. She was magnetic, and Ken, in all his confidence, was hooked the moment she looked at him. They danced, they laughed, and by the end of the night, she had one hand in his pocket and the other around his neck, pulling him in closer than anyone had in years.

But Ashley had a heart of stone now. Once, she might have given it away, but that was before the world had made her tough. Ken knew it. He could feel it when she spoke, when she looked at him with those piercing eyes that seemed to say, “I don’t believe in love anymore.” He wasn’t sure he could break through, but something about her kept him trying.

In the early days, it was all passion and fire. She was wild, unpredictable, and full of contradictions. Some nights, she was vulnerable, sharing stories of broken dreams and plans that never quite worked out. Other nights, her mouth was full of “dirty laundry,” airing out the bitter truths of her past. Ken tried to be the hero, to pick up the pieces, but she was always a step ahead, with a round-trip ticket to nowhere she had won in some magazine contest. She could leave at any moment, and Ken knew it.

Still, he couldn’t let go. He found himself digging for diamonds in a minefield, searching for the good in her despite the chaos. Every day, he felt like he was driving down an endless highway, looking for answers through the windshield, but the farther he went, the more lost he became. He was on the right road—or at least he thought so—but he was falling asleep at the wheel, unsure if this journey with Ashley would ever lead anywhere.

ROAD MAP | Cody Steele (youtube.com)

“If I just had a road map,” Ken would think to himself. “If I had a road map and a hubcap, I could find my way to her heart, no problem.”

He fantasized about packing up and driving away with her, hitting the open road with a full tank of gas and a piggy bank full of dreams. Maybe if they just kept going, they could leave all the pain behind, miles and miles of highway separating them from their pasts. But Ashley was always a little too elusive, a little too broken, and Ken didn’t know how to fix her.

Still, Ken kept building a bridge, hoping one day she’d cross over to where he was waiting. He’d sing to her late at night, building a future for them in his songs, trying to find a way into her heart that seemed so out of reach. He was drilling for oil on Main Street, walking across coals barefoot, doing anything he could to prove he was the man for her.

But the signs were never clear. He had the address to her heart, but there was no sign, no clear path. He’d get close, only for her to pull back, reminding him that some things are just too hard to change. Ken kept going, though, believing that if he just had that road map, he could guide them both to the love they deserved.

And then one night, after another long day on stage and a conversation with Ashley that left him feeling lost again, Ken decided it was time. He picked her up, told her to grab her things, and they drove. With the open road ahead, Ken kept his eyes on the horizon, refusing to look back at the pain and doubt.

They didn’t know where they were headed, but for the first time in a long time, it didn’t matter. With a full tank and a few coins in the piggy bank, Ken and Ashley drove for miles, neither of them looking back, finally ready to leave the past behind. Maybe, just maybe, they would find a way to each other’s hearts somewhere down that long, winding road.

LYRICS

She’s got one hand in my pocket
And the other one around my neck
She’s got a heart of stone that I used to own
When I was a millionaire

She’s got a mouth full of dirty laundry
And a head full of broken dreams
She’s got a round trip ticket to nowhere
That she won in a magazine

She’s got me digging for diamonds in a mind field
Looking for answers through the windshield
I’m on the right road but I am falling asleep at the wheel

And if I had a road map and a hub cap
I could find my way to your heart like that
With a full tank and a piggy bank
We could drive for miles and miles and never look back

I heard them people say that there’s no way
To make it to the other side
But I’ve been building a bridge to your backyard
Let me know if you need a ride

She’s got me drilling for oil on main street
I walk across coals on my bare feet
I’ve got the address but there’s just no sign on the street

And if I had a road map and a hub cap
I could find my way to your heart like that
With a full tank and your piggy bank
We could drive for miles and miles and never look back

She’s got me drilling for oil on main street
I walk across coals on my bare feet
I’ve got the address but there’s just no sign on the street

And if I had a road map and a hub cap
I could find my way to your heart like that
With a full tank and your piggy bank
We could drive for miles and miles

and never look back
and we will never look back
and never look back yeah

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Written by Brian Jay Cline
Produced by Punish Studios enhanced by A.I.