(8×10) Alone is a stark, reflective ballad that strips life down to its bare walls—literally and figuratively. With roots in outlaw country and acoustic Americana, the song finds its narrator confined to a cell of his own making, sifting through regret, lost love, and the blurred lines of right and wrong. Anchored by raw vocals and a mournful melody, it’s a haunting meditation on memory, time, and the cost of choices made. For fans of introspective country ballads and prison song storytelling in the vein of Johnny Cash or Townes Van Zandt.
Melancholy • Confessional • Prison blues • Lonely • Regret-soaked
Lyrics
Ten and some odd change short of a dollar
Any extra sense done come and gone
Been at least three years since I called her on the phone
Now I’m sitting in this 8×10 alone
Well, it’s hard to see where the line should be
When the line’s been getting crossed all along
It’s a tangled mess but my case I rest
I’ll just go on back to singing this sad song
I have never come across a problem
That I couldn’t turn from bad to worse
Time it marches on while I sit here all alone
Equal parts a blessing and a curse
I’m dreaming of a time that’s long forgotten
It’s a weight that burdens me today
I hang my head and cry, I know my luck’s run dry
The past remains, my future fades away
Well, it’s hard to see where the line should be
When the line’s been getting crossed all along
It’s a tangled mess but my case I rest
I’ll just go on back to singing this sad song
Don’t waste on me your hollow words of mercy
I’ve made my peace with every choice I’ve made
This narrow cell I see is all the world I need
Find yourself some other soul to save
Well, it’s hard to see where the line should be
When the line’s been getting crossed all along
It’s a tangled mess but my case I rest
I’ll just go on back to singing this sad song
Ten and some odd change short of a dollar
Any extra sense done come and gone
Been at least four years since I heard her on the phone
Now I’m sitting in this 8×10 alone
Tags
Country prison ballad, outlaw country storytelling, acoustic Americana, Johnny Cash-style song, modern country regret song, Ryan Ruiz Barrel Aged, singer-songwriter with lyrics, reflective acoustic ballad, southern gothic song, (8×10) Alone lyrics