[Intro ] (soft 12-string arpeggio, close three-part hum) Mm-mm, mm-mm — walk with me [Verse 1] We walk steady through the rain, jackets soaked, the streetlights blur, Tobacco ember in your palm, cedar smoke that smells like her— That old rusted truck we pushed to life on County Road at midnight, Worn seat for a sleeping plan, radio low, our future bright. You laugh, the rain beads on your jacket like coins of some small town sky, We light another cigarette, watch steam from coffee cups rise high. [Chorus 1] Here’s to you, Cousin Mike, rain tracing the lines on your face, Good company, good smoke, the kind of nights time can’t erase. Fighting the good fight by lantern glow, scars that mean we tried, An ember keeps our stories warm — a quiet flame that won’t subside. [Verse 2] Lakeside bonfire, the cedar snaps, we name the stars one by one, Winnebago shoreline, you taught me how the small things can be won. You fixed a flat by diner light, grease on your knuckles like a crest, We drove toward Madison sunrise, you swore you’d chase a bigger quest. That worn truck seat knows our secrets, mud on boots and plans we stake, You joked about Titans’ lights in Tennessee, about the moves you’d make. [Pre-Chorus ] You showed me how to stand my ground, to speak and then to stand again, To fold a map but keep the roads, to raise a hand for what’s not vain. [Chorus 2] Here’s to you, Cousin Mike — we carry your flame through storm and blue, Through thunder and the quiet dawns, through all the things we’ve walked us through. Good company, good smoke, battles worn like leather on our skin, Blue skies after walking rain — the light you bring keeps glowing within. [Bridge ] Maybe it’s Wisconsin fields at dawn, maybe it’s a Titan’s roar, Maybe it’s a new front porch or the same lake we swore for more. Blue skies after walking rain — that line you said on a slow drive home, We fold our fears into the map, and wherever we go, we’ll not go alone. [Chorus 3 — Full, layered] Here’s to you, Cousin Mike — we hold your laugh beneath these skies, Good company, good smoke, worn truck seats and late-night drives. We carry your flame through storms and sun, through every change and claim, Blue skies after walking rain — we’ll call your name and bring the flame. [Outro ] So raise your glass to walking rain, to cedar smoke and honest fights, To Wisconsin roads or Titan lights — to long small talks and longer nights. Great cousin, steady heart — forever carved into my life, Here’s to Cousin Mike: the road, the rain, the blue skies after strife. [Arrangement & Production Notes] - Vocal: Lead with close three-part harmonies in every chorus (tight CSN-style thirds). - Guitar: Warm 12-string arpeggio in verses, strummed acoustic on choruses; second acoustic doubles final chorus. - Keys: Subtle Hammond organ pad entering under the final chorus for lift. - Rhythm: Soft brushed snare, upright bass, roomy tempo (88–96 BPM) to allow phrasing. - Dynamics: Keep verses intimate and text-dy