“In the Rearview”
by Scott McGuire
Lyrics
Ash still glowing in the mirror
Smoke pulled thin across the glass
I don’t smell the fire anymore
But I remember the heat, I remember the past
Hands steady on the wheel now
Eyes locked past the line ahead
Miles just opening quietly
Under an endless open sky instead
Every step I took was risky
Like the ground might give or hold
Walking into what I couldn’t see yet
Making it up as I went alone
Built with no one at my shoulder
No one telling me my place
Learning how to stand unguarded
Learning how to trust my weight
I carried weight I never named
Fought fights no one saw
Held the line while the night stayed burning
Long after the light was gone
I didn’t look back through the ash
I didn’t slow my pace
I stayed ready in the embers
While the world fell out of place
I’ve been through hell, they’ll call it luck one day
But I wouldn’t wish that road on anyone
It’s in the rearview, fading fast
The fire was real, but it’s done
I’m still moving, still upright somehow
Still breathing, still here
Open road in front of me now
With nothing left to fear
I learned patience in the pressure
Learned calm when the floor gave way
Learned how to sharpen in the quiet
While everything else slipped away
No applause out in the distance
No map drawn in the sand
Just faith in the work I was doing
And calluses on my hands
Just because it burned
Doesn’t mean it was wrong
Some fires make you dangerous
If you live through them long enough
I’ve been through hell, they’ll call it luck one day
But I wouldn’t wish that road on anyone
It’s in the rearview, fading fast
The fire was real, but it’s done
I’m still moving, still upright somehow
Still breathing, still here
Open road in front of me now
With nothing left to fear
I don’t need to prove a thing
I don’t need to speak it loud
I know what I’ve been becoming
When no one else was around
I can feel the weight lifting
With every mile I go
I’m not chasing what burned behind me
I’m building what I know
I’ve been through hell, they’ll call it luck one day
But I wouldn’t wish that road on anyone
It’s in the rearview, fading fast
The fire was real, but it’s done
I’m still moving, still upright somehow
Still breathing, still here
Open road in front of me now
With nothing left to fear
Lyrics, concept, and composition by Scott McGuire.
Vocals and instrumentation generated using AI.