LONG ROAD AHEAD
An anthem for every late night drive and uncertain tomorrow. “Long Road Ahead” is where reflection meets momentum — my story set to motion.
The beginning of my story.
I wrote “Long Road Ahead” during a time when everything felt stuck — work, life, direction. It became a reminder to keep moving, even when the road’s empty. Every chord feels like a gear change, every line like a mile closer to something I’ve always dreamed of.
the demo that started it all
This is the version that started it all. Raw, unpolished — but 100% real.
The lyrics
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Verse One:
I left behind, what I thought I knew,
A dusty road and the skies of blue.
My heart was heavy, but my feet were light,
Chasing shadows in the fading night.
The world was loud, but I had to go,
I didn’t know where, but I’d find the road.
With every step, a piece of me was left,
And that’s the path ahead, I’d found my breath.
Prechorus One:
But the horizon calls my name,
I hear the wind whisper, it’s not the same.
Every step’s, a promise that i can’t ignore,
And the road keeps waitin’, waitin’ for more.
Chorus One:
And it’s a Long Road Ahead,
I’ll keep movin’, no regrets.
And every step I take, I’m closer to who I’ll be,
With the road under my feet, I’m finally free.
Oh, I’m finally free.
And it’s a Long Road Ahead.
Verse Two:
Through the mountians high, and the valleys low,
I found myself, in places unknown,
But the sun would set, and the stars would rise,
But the road kept callin’ no compromise.
I’ve seen the storms, I’ve felt the rain,
I learned the lessons and I withstood the pain,
But the road’s got a truth, it won’t betray,
It leads me forward, come what it may.
Prechorus Two:
But the horizon calls my name,
I hear the wind whisper, it’s not the same.
Every step’s, a promise that i can’t ignore,
And the road keeps waitin’, waitin’ for more.
Chorus Two:
And it’s a Long Road Ahead,
I’ll keep movin’, no regrets.
And every step I take, I’m closer to who I’ll be,
With the road under my feet, I’m finally free.
Oh, I’m finally free.
And it’s a Long Road Ahead.
Bridge:
Oh, I’m finally free,
Oh, I’m finally free,
Oh, I’m finally free,
And it’s a long road ahead.
Chorus Three:
And it’s a Long Road Ahead,
I’ll keep movin’, no regrets.
And every step I take, I’m closer to who I’ll be,
With the road under my feet, I’m finally free.
And it’s a Long Road Ahead,
I’ll keep movin’, no regrets.
And every step I’ll take, I’m closer to who I’ll be,
With the road under my feet, I’m finally free.
Oh, I’m finally free.
And it’s a Long Road Ahead.
Written and recorded by Alex McIlwraith — this song stared with a late night drive and a half finished chorus.
Behind the song
“I wrote Long Road Ahead when I felt completely directionless — working full time, stuck on repeat. This song became my reminder that even if you don’t know where you’re headed, motion is progress. Every note feels like a stretch of empty highway, every lyric like another mile closer to who I’ll be.”
Recording Process / Gear Used
Vocals: MXL 2003A
Guitar: Sigma GMC-STE
DAW: Pro Tools
Key: Ab Minor — Cinematic Pop / Singer Songwriter
Mood: Reflective, hopeful, wandering