Nowhere Road
Steve Earle & The Dukes Lyrics

There's a road, in Oklahoma
The song is about a specific road in Oklahoma

Straighter than a preacher
The road is remarkably straight

Longer than a memory
The road seems to go on forever

And it goes, forever onward
The road continues without a clear end in sight

Been a good teacher
The road has taught many lessons to country boys like the singer

For a lot of country boys like me
The singer relates to other individuals who have traveled this road

I push that load from here to someday
The singer has been traveling down the road for a long time

I'll push as long as I'm alive, but I don't know how long I'll last
The singer plans to keep traveling, but acknowledges that he may not make it to the end of the road

'Cause it's just a road, it ain't no highway
The road is not one of the major highways

I'm blowin' by the double five
The singer is driving too fast

I know I'm going way too fast
The singer is aware that he is driving too fast

I been down this road just searching' for the end
The singer has been on this road for a long time, searching for a clear end or destination

It don't go nowhere, it just brings you back again
The road ultimately does not lead to a specific destination, and instead loops back around

Leaves you lonely and cold, standin' on the shoulder
The road leaves the singer feeling isolated and abandoned

But you've come too far to go back home
The singer has traveled too far to simply turn back and go home

So you're walkin' on a nowhere road
The singer is continuing down the road even though it appears to lead nowhere

Some folks say, if you keep rollin'
There are people who believe that eventually the road will lead to a major highway

And keep it on the yellow line
To reach the supposed highway, one must stay on the center line

It'll take you on the big highway
Staying on the yellow line is thought to lead to a major highway

But there's a toll to pay, if you're going
There is a price to pay for following this path

The keeper of the gate is blind
The person or entity who controls the entrance to the supposed highway is not reliable or trustworthy

So you better be prepared to pay
Those who follow the path should be aware that there may be a high cost associated with doing so