Congratulations to all our Session Six 2026 Lyric Contest winners. Read the winning lyrics for first through fourth place, below.
CLICK HERE to enter the 2027 Session One Lyric Contest.
Videos by American Songwriter
1st Place – “Heaven’s Front Porch”
By: Zion Williams
(V1)Whoever said the good die young
Ain’t ever met you
100 something years of living
And a lot of loving too
Every Sunday supper
Every “honey come on in”
Lord if heaven’s anything like home
I know you’ll fit right in
(C)I hope heaven’s got a front porch
With the sun shining through the trees
I bet your tellin all the angels
Them old stories you told me
And I know your watchin over
Every heart that you adored
And I know your up there swingin on
Heavens front porch
(V2)I still catch myself reaching for the phone
To tell you about what’s goin on
I can almost hear that screen door creak
And your laugh in the summer breeze
I guess some hearts never really say goodbye
They just learn to look higher in the sky
(C)I hope heaven’s got a front porch
With the sun shining through the trees
I bet your tellin all the angels
All them stories you told me
And I know your watchin over
Every heart that you adore
I know you’re up there swinging
On heavens front porch
(B)Yeah maybe time keeps moving on
But I ain’t used to you being gone
(V3)One day the Lord will come
Callin me home
And I’ll trade these tired bones for streets of gold
And I’ll run to you just like I did once before
Then forever starts when these old boots hit heavens front porch
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2027 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
2nd Place – “Different Truck”
By: Chelsey Layton
V1:
Would you believe you’re not the first “hey girl” I’ve heard tonight
No I don’t need another drink or your Florida Georgia lines
‘Bout rollin’ back to your place with me riding shotgun
‘Cause it’s the same shit different truck
V2:
Offer me some tick-tok two step in those fresh from Broadway boots
Tip that knock-off Stetson like you patented the move
Bet you know some dead end road where we could cuddle up
Man it’s the same shit different truck
Ch:
Yeah it’s a tale as old as time
Boy sees girl ‘neath the neon light
Suddenly he’s ten feet tall
Romeo with a southern drawl
It’s radios and dropped tailgates
Moonlight dancing on the lake
Yeah I’d like to be open minded but
It’s the same shit different truck
V3:
Prob’ly black and lifted with some fancy LEDs
Skoal can in the console jar of shine under the seat
Custom rims and chrome pipes they make you look real tough
But it’s the same shit different truck
Ch:
Yeah it’s a tale as old as time
Boy sees girl ‘neath the neon light
Suddenly he’s ten feet tall
Romeo with a southern drawl
It’s radios and dropped tailgates
Moonlight dancing on the lake
Yeah I’d like to be open minded but
It’s the same shit different truck
Ch:
Yeah it’s a tale as old as time
Boy sees girl ‘neath the neon light
Suddenly he’s ten feet tall
Romeo with a southern drawl
It’s radios and dropped tailgates
Moonlight dancing on the lake
Yeah I’d like to be open minded but
It’s the same shit different truck
3rd Place – “MY LAST NAME ENDS WITH ME”
By: Shawn Woods
She asked me “Does it bother you… you never had kids?”
I laughed and said “Nah I made my peace with it”
Took another sip and looked the other way
Like I had that answer loaded all day
Said “I’m gettin’ older timing ain’t right”
“World’s gettin’ crazy money’s been tight”
Had a list of reasons I could pull out on cue
Man I sold that lie so long I thought it was true
But who am I kiddin’…
I chose one more deal one more late-night call
One more “I ain’t got time” over givin’ my all
Kept thinkin’ tomorrow was some debt I could pay
Like life was gonna wait while I worked my way
Now there ain’t little cleats by the front door for me
No school plays with an empty seat saved for me
No grandkids chasin’ fireflies in the summer heat
My last name ends with me
She used to say “Slow down come sit with me awhile”
I’d say “Baby I’m buildin’ us a better life”
Funny thing about buildin’ every brick alone
One day you look around and there’s nobody home
I left my wife somewhere along the road
Left the man I was somewhere back in time
Traded everything that mattered
For things I can’t hold
Got a brother with pictures all over his walls
School plays birthdays graduations and all
I used to laugh and say “Man that life ain’t for me”
Like I was too damn free for responsibility
Now Christmas comes around and the house stays still
No little footsteps running down the hall
Funny what you call a sacrifice back then
Starts looking a whole lot more like losing in the end
What kind of man does that?
Builds a ladder to the top
Then kicks the bottom rung away
Runs so hard he outruns grace
Looks up one day and finally sees—
The man he became… was me
Now if she asked me again if it bothers me
I’d probably tell the truth for once honestly
Yeah I’d give every damn thing I own
To hear somebody yell—
“Dad… watch me.”
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2027 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
4th Place – “Sunday Morning Parking Lot”
By: Greg Poulos
I’m frozen in the gravel by my old truck door
Watching families walk the path I used to walk before
Little girls in Sunday dresses and boys in ties too tight
Their daddy’s got that look I had before I lost the fight
I see that old man with his walker third row every week
His wife died last December but he still saves her a seat
I wish I had that kind of faith to face another day
But I’m stuck here making promises I’ll break by Saturday
[Chorus]
A Sunday morning parking lot
Is the best that I can do
I can hear that organ playin’
But I’m singing out of tune
A Sunday morning parking lot
Where I came to make amends
Now I’m wonderin if there’s any mercy left
For a life I can’t defend
The preacher waves from the front steps calling me by name
Says “Son we’ve got room for one more you don’t have to feel ashamed”
But these hands have done some damage these feet have walked too far
From the boy who sang in Sunday school to the man who fell so hard
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
God knows what I was thinking
I couldn’t tell the dark from light
But time creates the distance
That I needed to accept that you were right
[Chorus]
Since 1984, American Songwriter’s Lyric Contest has helped aspiring songwriters get noticed and have fun. Enter the 2027 Lyric Contest today before the deadline:
Honorable Mentions:
“A Man Can Love a Map”
By Sean Dietrich Owens
“All Dressed Up and Almost Over You”
By Larry McAlister
“I Know Better Than That”
By Duane Johnson
“I’ve Met Cowboys”
By Angela Manfredi
“Love Like a Slow Dance”
By Nathan Chlumsky
“Psychopath”
By Mallory Johnson, Maddie Lenhart and Brianna Nelson
“Rocket Pop”
By GenJi
“Thank You, Benny”
By Annie Williamson
“What Grief Looks Like to Me”
By Emma Gale
“YOU ALREADY WROTE THE END”
By Kelli Brewer
“You Always Lie Me to Truth”
By Princess Pivot
More Lyric Contest
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Photo Credit: Jeff Thatcher Photography -
Photo by Jill Mullin
