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Lost on Mystic Road

Lyrics and Music ©2025 by Bill Roper


I was driving from Ball State over to the Midkiff's after K's visit at the university. The GPS route involves a lot of local roads and as we crossed Mystic Road, I commented to K that "Lost on Mystic Road" is a good title for a song. She replied, "Right. Lost on the Mystic Road" and I corrected her to remove the vagrant "the".

A few days later, I was lying in bed not quite awake when the chorus started popping into my head, complete with the horn section hitting on "Down". (Thanks, Moxie!) I scrawled this down in my phone and kept adding bits over the next several days before finishing it up the following weekend.

Am7
Wrong turn on the roundabout.
Em7
Fog to cover up the sign.
Dm
Roadside bar coming up ahead
      E7
Looks like a place to spend some time.
    Am7
The evening’s gonna be drawn out.
Em7
Nowhere that you need to be.
       Dm
You’re not sure what the barkeep said,
       E7
But it seems that here the first one’s free.

(Chorus)
Am7                     E7
Down, down, down, down, down on Mystic Road.
Dm
Your whole damn story’s gonna come to a head.
E7
You might get lucky or you might get dead
Dm6         E7             Am7    (E7 Am7 E7)
When you’re lost on Mystic Road.

Sipping from a glass of amaretto,
Pouring from a bottle of wine,
You’ll pay for in the morning,
But for now you’re feeling fine.
The jukebox’s limited libretto
Is laying down the beat.
You’re missing every warning,
But the evening’s not complete.

She settles on the stool beside you
And gives an unsubtle smile.
“You’re the first new fellow
We’ve seen in quite a while.
And you came with nothing to provide you
A defense against the simplest charm.
You’re drinking, getting mellow,
And now you’re totally disarmed.”

(Bridge)
Dm6
“Everybody wants you,
      E7                   Am7
But I think that you’ll be mine.
    Dm6
I’m not quite sure what haunts you,
      E7
But together we’ll be fine.”

She throws coins on the bar top.
“I’m picking up his tab.”
A flash of light, you’re moving.
No time to sit and gab.
Moonlight on your car top
As she slides in next to you.
She says “Drive” and looks approving.
“You know, I think you’ll do.”

(Chorus twice)