Lyrics

[Verse 1]
She pours the coffee black as the desert sky outside
While semis rumble past like distant summer thunder
Tommy's headed east with photographs of kids he hasn't met
And Sarah's running west from something she won't surrender
The radio plays soft between the clink of spoons and plates
As midnight crawls across the counter's worn terrain
She knows their routes by heart, their favorite pie and side
Each story etched in wrinkles 'round her weathered name tag, Jane
[Pre-chorus]
Refill after refill, she keeps their spirits strong
When the weight gets heavy and the road gets long
Through thunder, rain, and breakdowns too
She's got fresh coffee brewing, waiting just for you
[Chorus]
Behind that counter's edge
She guards their dignity
A beacon in the night
For souls who can't sleep free
[Verse 2]
Old Bill's been driving thirty years, his knuckles white with time
His wedding ring's been missing since Milwaukee '89
She slides his usual order, doesn't need to ask him twice
Hash browns extra crispy, side of friendly advice
The young ones come in shaking, lost and running low on faith
She feeds them hope with pancakes, guides them through the strain
Some faces she sees once, others every other week
But each one leaves a little lighter, stronger than they came
[Bridge]
Sometimes in the quiet, when dawn begins to break
She sees her own reflection in the windows she should clean
Twenty years of midnight shifts, a thousand lives she's changed
Never asked for recognition, never sought her fame
[Chorus]
Behind that counter's edge
She guards their dignity
A beacon in the night
For souls who can't sleep free
[Outro]
And as the sun comes rising, she wipes the counter clean
Another night of stories, another day to dream