Grounded, witty folk‑country from the worn edge of truth. Songs for late nights, long drives, and the moment you finally say what you meant.
[Verse 1] They laughed at the things that lit me up Like my smile was something wrong Said I should be more “real grown up” Said my joy didn’t belong So I learned to fold my laughter small And tuck it deep inside Started asking for permission Just to like the things I liked [Chorus] But I still like it Even if they rolled their eyes Even if they made it feel Like love had to apologize I still light up when I hear that song Still cry when cartoons say goodbye They couldn’t kill what’s good in me— They only taught me how to hide [Verse 2] They called it childish, called it weak Said it’s silly to believe But who made them the judge of peace Or what we’re meant to grieve? So now I take my coffee slow With extra whipped cream if I please I might wear pink, I might wear gold Don’t owe this world my knees [Chorus] Yeah, I still like it Even if it’s out of style Even if they said it made me less For being soft awhile I still dance like no one told me How to hold my arms just right They couldn’t shame the fire out— Just made me guard the light [Bridge] It took me years to find the words To say, “I liked it, and that’s mine” And if that makes me strange or wrong I’ll wear it with some pride [Final Chorus] ’Cause I still like it The things that made me smile at ten And maybe that’s the strongest thing— To like them now, again I won’t explain or justify The soft parts I protect I still like it. That’s enough. And I ain’t hiding it next time. Outro (spoken softly): I still like it. And that’s not up for debate.
[Verse 1] Up at six to beat the traffic Tie the tie, rehearse the script Smiling wide for someone’s ego Trading soul for benefits Microwave your Monday lunch Burnout brewing in your cup Clock says noon, but you're on empty Still, you never speak up [Chorus] Your job is not your life It’s not your reason why You weren’t born to please a spreadsheet Just to slowly die So take your hands off autopilot Steal your freedom back tonight 'Cause your job is not your life No, your job is not your life [Verse 2] You miss your kid’s recital Cause your boss “can’t do without” But twenty years from now, that paycheck Won’t fix what you forgot about They dangle dreams and promotions But those golden chains still bind You gave them years they didn’t earn And they’ll forget you in no time [Chorus] Your job is not your life It’s not your highest call You were made to laugh and wonder Not just answer every call So take a breath, reclaim your evening Leave the badge and turn out lights 'Cause your job is not your life No, your job is not your life [Bridge] Don’t wait for retirement To remember how to live Joy’s not in a raise It’s in the time you freely give [Chorus – final push] Your job is not your life It’s not the sum of you You're worth more than your inbox And the deadlines chasing you So take a walk, write that novel Call someone you miss tonight Your job is not your life No, your job is not your life [Outro – soft drawl] So when the clock says “go,” then go Don’t ask permission, just arrive Where you belong—with the ones you love 'Cause your job… is not your life
[Verse 1] You never rush to answer me, But you’re the first to hear my doubt. You don’t pretend to have the map, But you walk with me when I’m without. You’re the voice inside my silence, The anchor in my storm, And though the world may never see, With you, I feel reborn. [Chorus] You’re the person I like to talk to most, When the night gets long, and I feel like a ghost. You listen without needing to speak, My best friend, strong where I feel weak. We laugh like we’ll never run out of time, You mirror back the light that’s mine. [Verse 2] Some days we say so little, Yet everything feels known. Even when I’m far from you, I never feel alone. You never try to fix me, You just understand my pain, And in your eyes, I’m not too much, I’m just a little rain. [Chorus] You’re the person I like to talk to most, When I’m losing heart, when I need you close. You pull the truth from behind my eyes, My best friend, no need for disguise. We dream like the world is wide and clear, You make the quiet feel like cheer. [Bridge] You’re not the loudest in the crowd, But you’re the calm I seek, And though I never say it out loud, You make my soul speak. [Final Chorus] You’re the person I like to talk to most, Even if someday, we become a ghost. You live in the rhythm of my thought, The best friend every heart has sought. And if the words ever fall away, You’ll still hear what I meant to say.
[Verse 1] I built a life with careful hands Mapped it out, drew lines in sand But joy don’t follow plans or charts It comes like thunder, breaks your heart [Verse 2] Some days I’m smiling just to fake Other days I bend, but I don’t break I try to steer, to call the shots But I’m a passenger more often than not [Chorus] I’m at the mercy of happiness She comes and goes like a reckless guest Sometimes she stays, sometimes she leaves No promises, just silent thieves I do my best, but I confess— I’m still at the mercy of happiness [Verse 3] They said be strong, control your fate But joy can’t read a calendar date You can chase it hard, still lose the race You can find it in a stranger’s face [Chorus] I’m at the mercy of happiness Like lightning wearing a wedding dress I hold her hand, she slips away But I wait around, I hope she stays I dress my wounds and clean the mess— Still at the mercy of happiness [Bridge] It’s not a drug, it’s not a cure It’s a whisper through an open door It’s in the laugh you didn’t fake In the silence after your heartbreak [Final Chorus] Yeah, I’m at the mercy of happiness Not a queen, not a perfect guest But I’d trade my pride, my plans, my maps Just to have her come right back So here I sit, in this worn-out dress— At the mercy of happiness [Outro] I’ll keep the porch light on for her Like she’s more than just a visitor And maybe one day, she’ll confess— She was always mine Even when she left
[Verse 1] Some folks like me fine enough But they don’t stay too long They want a girl who fits the mold And doesn’t write sad songs I’ve learned to let ‘em pass me by Like trains I never chase I’d rather sit with quiet eyes Than fight to earn my place [Chorus] Only certain people get it They don’t flinch when I go quiet They don’t need to fill the silence Just sit with me beside it They don’t fix me when I’m honest Don’t take off when I unfold Only certain people get me— And Lord, they feel like gold [Verse 2] I’ve had to learn to bite my tongue When people smile too wide Like they don’t see the worn-out parts Or what I hold inside I’m not a storm you ride for fun Then leave before the rain If you can't stand the way I break Don’t ask about my name [Chorus] Only certain people stay When things ain’t wrapped up clean They don’t panic when I crumble They just lean and let me lean They see past the decoration Down to where it’s real and bold Only certain people get me— The kind you never sold [Bridge] It ain’t about the pretty words Or promises they swore It’s in the ones who sit down quiet And don’t ask me to be more [Final Chorus] Only certain people see me And don’t tell me to behave They just hand me one more coffee And a place to misbehave They don’t run from who I’m not They don’t mind a little cold Only certain people love me— The ones you don’t just hold Outro (Spoken, soft): Yeah... only certain people. But I’d rather have one right one Than a hundred that feel wrong.
[Verse 1] I don't chase gold, I don't count my wins My soul don't shine from the things I'm in No car, no watch, no throne, no suit Just a world I feel when the noise goes mute [Verse 2] I've known love that can't be bought Heard a silence louder than thought Felt the fire in a stranger's word Some things are real that can't be heard [Chorus] I'm not a materialist Can't hold what I believe exists It's in the way a sunset sighs In the questions that outlive the whys No, I'm not made of steel and stone My proof is found in being known And the deepest truths I trust the most Are the ones I can't hold close [Verse 3] I’ve seen hearts break and still stay whole Watched laughter rise from shattered souls Call it spirit, call it grace Call it meaning we misplaced [Chorus] I’m not a materialist Can’t weigh what makes me feel like this It’s in the silence after pain In what the wounded still retain No, I don’t need a world to prove What I can feel when nothing moves The brightest lights don’t need to show They’re burning in the soul [Bridge] So let the cynics count their gold Let the doubters do as they’re told But I believe in what survives When the surface parts and hearts collide [Final Chorus] I’m not a materialist The realest things don’t clench a fist They drift like rain, like breath, like time Like poetry that doesn't rhyme And if I vanish with the night Know I lived for what felt right The truest things I ever missed Were the ones I can't resist— But I can’t hold… No, I can't hold
[Verse 1] Pulled out of town with the radio low, Sun in my mirror, nowhere to go. Every line on the pavement feels like proof, That I’m still here, still telling the truth. [Chorus] Mile markers, counting time, Stories etched in highway lines. Not running away, not chasing a crown, Just moving on, not breaking down. Every stretch of road reminds— I’m still alive, I’m leaving signs. [Verse 2] Gas station coffee, a jukebox song, A stranger’s nod says we both belong. Not in the past, not in what we’ve lost, But in the miles where the worlds get crossed. [Chorus] Mile markers, counting time, Stories etched in highway lines. Not running away, not chasing a crown, Just moving on, not breaking down. Every stretch of road reminds— I’m still alive, I’m leaving signs. [Bridge] Some folks think the end’s the goal, But the road itself can save your soul. I don’t need gold, I don’t need fame, Every mile whispers my name. [Final Chorus] Mile markers, fading fast, But they hold the proof of where I’ve passed. Not lost, not found, just rolling free, The road’s the only map I need. Every stretch of road reminds— I’m still alive, I’m leaving signs. [Outro – spoken, soft] Just me and the road… and the miles behind.
[Verse 1] Call someone who don’t call back Chase a heart that’s off its track Sit in silence next to noise Let ‘em treat your pain like toys [Verse 2] Work a job that drains your soul Clockin’ in but never whole Talk to folks who never hear Spend your gold on someone’s beer [Chorus] That’s how you waste your time Give it out like borrowed dimes Let the world just take and take Till you forget what you could make Yeah, that’s how you lose your shine Livin’ like your life ain’t mine [Verse 3] Scroll a screen for hours on end Text a ghost who won’t pretend Keep your fire under glass Smile polite while good things pass [Bridge] And you’ll wake up some old day Wonderin’ why you feel this way Empty hands and no one left Just the echoes of what you let [Final Chorus] That’s how you waste your time Let the days blur into lines Be the one who always bends Chasin’ love that just pretends Yeah, that’s how the years slip by And you forget that you could fly [Outro] So I won’t waste mine anymore I’m walking out that nowhere door
[Verse 1] You’re dealt a hand before you know Some chips more heavy, some chips so low You place your bets across the table’s glow The ball begins its fated roam [Pre‑Chorus] Some fall fast, some stay in play Some risk it all, some watch the game [Chorus] We’re just chips in the box, borrowed for a while Betting highs and lows with every lonely mile At closing time the dealer comes to say “Put it all back now—you were never yours today” [Verse 2] Some sip softly on life’s sidelines Feel the rush without the stake in mind They watch the winners, they track the fall But the house always claims it all [Pre‑Chorus] Tiny stakes or a final call Every bet has its threshold [Chorus] We wake and play the hand we’re dealt Knowing someday we’ll leave this felt When midnight chimes, there’s no applause Just chips returned and faded cause [Bridge] Was it fortune? Was it fate? Did we chase the wrong debate? Empty pockets, hollow talk— We’re just chips in the box [Final Chorus – gentle & wise] We’re just chips in the box, temporary light A borrowed spark within the night And when the table’s cleared of dust We return our chips, as all things must
[Verse 1] I’ve poured a thousand drinks and heard ten thousand stories Watched folks chase gold, fame, and two-second glories But when the lights go down and the bar stools are bare I ask myself softly—will anyone care? [Chorus] What will I leave behind When the noise fades out and the years unwind? Not the bills I paid or the shifts I worked Not the things I bought or the times I hurt Will there be a song, a name, a trace? Or just a shadow in time’s embrace? Tell me, what will I leave behind? [Verse 2] I gave kindness when I could, kept a few folks sane Tried to listen more than talk, danced in the rain But some nights it hits like a whisper too loud Was I just one more voice in the faceless crowd? [Chorus] What will I leave behind When the jukebox stills and the stars align? Not the tired bones or the worn-down smile But maybe a truth that was worth the while Will there be love, a line, a mark? Something that outlives the dark? God, what will I leave behind? [Bridge] Maybe a laugh in someone’s memory Maybe a line from a song they keep Maybe the echo of standing tall When they thought they had nothing at all [Final Chorus] What will I leave behind Not just the years, but a reason, a sign A light I lit in someone’s storm A voice that made the silence warm If that’s all I get—well, that’d be fine That’s what I hope I leave behind
Prefer Spotify or Apple? Find your platform here.
Trista Rhodes writes from the shift between last call and first light — grounded, witty, a little world‑weary, and stubbornly hopeful. When she isn’t pouring drinks or stories, she’s sanding down the truth until it’s simple enough to sing. Still Like It is her first full‑length album: ten songs about what we keep, what we set down, and what we say when it finally matters.
Onstage, she’s the same woman as in person: honest, sharp, and ready to turn a good line into a better song.