(Tempo: 145 BPM. Key: A Major. Time Signature: 2/2 Cut Time) [Intro] (Starts with a rapid-fire "Foggy Mountain" style banjo roll. After two bars, the upright bass drops in with a driving 1-5 punch, followed by a crisp acoustic guitar G-run. The mandolin provides sharp, percussive "chops" on the off-beats.) [Verse 1] (Solo male vocal, high and lonesome but energetic) I woke up to the whistle of the 4:09 With a heavy heart and a worried mind I packed my grip and I laced my shoes To run away from those mountain blues (Fiddle plays a quick, sliding lick between lines) [Verse 2] (Tenor harmony joins in) The ridge is steep and the hollow’s deep And I’ve got promises I cannot keep The dust is rising on the old red road But I’m leaving behind that heavy load! [Instrumental Break - Interplay] (The Banjo takes the first eight bars with a frantic melody. The Fiddle answers immediately with a soaring, double-stop solo. Finally, the Mandolin takes a turn with rapid tremolo picking before the full band crashes back into the rhythm.) [Chorus] (Full three-part "high lonesome" harmony—Lead, Tenor, and Baritone) Oh, the wheels are spinning and the gravel flies Underneath those wide and open skies! No looking back where the shadows grow I’m headed down where the river flows! [Verse 3] (Tight, rhythmic delivery; acoustic guitar cross-picking is audible in the mix) The sun is leaning on the cedar trees I can smell the rain upon the breeze I’m twenty miles from the county line And I’m feeling like I’m doing fine! [Instrumental Break - The "Turnaround"] (Acoustic guitar takes a flatpicking solo, showcasing fast alternate picking. The upright bass does a walking "slap" run to transition back to the vocals.) [Chorus] (Maximum volume and harmony; mandolin chops are loud and clean) Oh, the wheels are spinning and the gravel flies Underneath those wide and open skies! No looking back where the shadows grow I’m headed down where the river flows! [Outro] (The fiddle and banjo trade two-bar "licks" back and forth, building speed) All: Headed down where the river flows! All: Headed down where the river flows! (Final flourish: A classic "Shave and a Haircut" ending led by the banjo and a final thump on the upright bass.)