Eight Hours to the Porch Light

[intro]
Highway hum and dashboard glow
Coffeepot cold, three towns to go

[verse 1]
Left Nashville in the rain at dawn, the interstate was gray
Borrowed twenty bucks for gas and half a pack of Camels on the tray
Radio plays static till some gospel station finds the key
And I sing along off-key, 'cause Mama always sang to me

[chorus]
Eight hours to the porch light, eight hours to her apple pie
Where the gravel drive still crunches like a lullaby
Old Frost on the windshield can't slow this truck of mine
I'm driving home for Christmas, just making up lost time

[verse 2]
There's a gas stop in Kentucky where the clerk knows my name
Says, "Your mama called, said don't you dare miss supper, boy, again"
I laughed and bought a lottery ticket just to waste the dime
Won a dollar-fifty — Lord, I'll take it as a sign

[chorus]
Eight hours to the porch light, eight hours to her apple pie
Where the gravel drive still crunches like a lullaby
Old Frost on the windshield can't slow this truck of mine
I'm driving home for Christmas, just making up lost time

[bridge]
Ten years of white line fever, ten Christmases gone cold
Dad's old jacket on the seat, still smells like sawdust, cedar, smoke
I been chasing down a paycheck like it owed me something true
Turns out all it owed me was the road back home to you

[chorus]
Eight hours to the porch light, eight hours to her apple pie
Where the gravel drive still crunches like a lullaby
Old Frost on the windshield can't slow this truck of mine
I'm driving home for Christmas, just making up lost time

[outro]
Headlights on the mailbox, wreath up on the door
Mama's on the porch step, waving like before
Kill the engine, breathe the cold
I ain't late anymore, I'm home
I ain't late anymore, I'm home