Odometer Prayer

[Verse 1]
(A cappella)
My vinyl's cracked right over the glove box light
I hold a paper cup of cà phê sữa đá every night
(Full band enters)
He tunes the radio 'til he finds a lonely sound
Somewhere between Little Saigon and Bakersfield town

[Chorus]
I just keep countin' up the miles
And watch him practice Merle Haggard's smiles
This engine hum's the only home he's had for a while
He's a hundred-thousand on my dial

[Verse 2]
The phone buzzes Tuesday, 'bout 11:03
His mom asks in Vietnamese if he's had anything to eat
He says, "Yeah, Má, I'm good," but his voice sounds thin and dry
Like an irrigation ditch when the July sun is high

[Chorus]
I just keep countin' up the miles
And watch him practice Merle Haggard's smiles
This engine hum's the only home he's had for a while
He's a hundred-thousand on my dial

[Bridge]
I still smell the star anise from the takeout bag he left
Mixed with diesel fumes and the dust of promises unkept
Just the ghost of a song he's hummin' low and sad

[Chorus]
And I just keep countin' up the miles
And watch him practice Merle Haggard's smiles
This engine hum's the only home he's had for a while
He's a hundred-thousand on my dial

[Outro]
The needles glow a steady green
Just a number on a screen.