Lyrics

[Verse 1]
As a little boy, I sat upon his knee,
Grandpa's stories, they meant the world to me.
He'd come home dusty from the coal mine's deep,
With card games and laughter, he'd make my heart leap.
But the stars fell down, the night turned to gray,
On Route 20 down by Pack Road, life slipped away.
I lost my best friend, a hero in my eyes,
In a flash, he was gone, beneath those big skies.

[Chorus]
Down on Route 20, when I was just a boy
My best friend and hero died there, I lost my joy.
Heartbroken and shattered, a little boy's pain,
I swear I'll hold on, but it’s never the same.

[Verse 2]
I remember the truck, the echoes of the night,
Grandpa and his brother, they thought it was right,
Just a few drinks, a card game, a song,
But life turned upside down, all that felt wrong.
That wreck stole the man who taught me to care,
With a heart full of warmth and wisdom to share.
The bottle passed hand to hand, laughter spun golden threads,
But that night on the mountain, it left nothing but dread.

[Chorus]
Down on Route 20, when I was just a boy
My best friend and hero died there, I lost my joy.
Heartbroken and shattered, a little boy's pain,
I swear I'll hold on, but it’s never the same.

[Bridge]
Now as a man, I look back and I find,
The lessons he taught me still linger in my mind.
I've never touched a drink, I made a vow that night,
To honor his memory, to keep my path light.
With every sunrise, I feel the weight lift,
His spirit surrounds me, life’s most precious gift.
He may be gone, but he lives in my soul,
Down on Route 20, I found my way whole.

[Chorus]
On Route 20 down by Pack Road, when I was just a boy
My best friend and hero died there, I lost my joy.
Heartbroken and shattered, a little boy's pain,
I swear I'll hold on, but it’s never the same.

[Outro]
So here's to the mountains, the valleys, the tears,
The lessons I hold close over all of these years.
I raise my voice high, I’ll make him proud someday,
Down on Route 20, I’ll love my own way.
In the hollow of loss, I found strength to be brave,
For grandpa and his brother, I’ll always feel safe.