Check Engine Glow

They say a car is a symbol of freedom, but sometimes it's just a four-wheeled memory box you can't escape. This song is for when the relationship dies, but the check engine light—that loyal, glowing companion—stays on for you. A true friend 'til the bitter end.

An anthem for anyone whose car has outlasted their relationship.

Song by: Dead Channel Audio

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
This four-way stop is where you first took my hand
The cracked vinyl dash was our promised land
Every street sign still whispers your name
In this rolling steel and cheap plastic frame
You're in the passenger seat, but you're not really there
Just a cold spot hanging in the stale night air
And I'm driving circles, tracing the lines
Looking for an exit, ignoring the signs

[Chorus]
We were running on fumes and a desperate hope
Learning how to break, learning how to cope
Living our lives by the check engine glow
A little orange light I learned to just let go
And now it's the only thing that's still here with me
A constant reminder of what used to be

[Verse 2]
There's a stain on the seat from a coffee we spilled
A collection of promises we never fulfilled
The station static plays our favorite song
And I scream every word 'cause you sang them all wrong
Your fingerprints are still faint on the glass
A perfect mirage that was never meant to last
And I grip the wheel 'til my knuckles are white
Just another ghost in the pale dome light

[Chorus]
We were running on fumes and a desperate hope
Learning how to break, learning how to cope
Living our lives by the check engine glow
A little orange light I learned to just let go
And now it's the only thing that's still here with me
A constant reminder of what used to be

[Bridge]
I keep the tank full so I don't have to stop
I drive these streets 'til I'm ready to drop
They said this car was supposed to set me free
But every mile just brings you back to me
It's not the engine, it's my soul that's broken down!
It's broken down!

[Outro]
Just me and the hum of this sad machine
And the space where you were supposed to have been
Yeah, it's just me now... and the check engine glow.