1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: Alright, Episode seventy one of the Bobby Cast with the 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: writer Tom Douglas. Hey Tom, are you? It's good to 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: see him in. So many people say so many great 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,319 Speaker 1: things about you. It's finally nice to get you in here. 5 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: How long have you been in Nashville? Well, I came, 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: uh the first time, from nineteen eighty to eighty four, 7 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: and then I left in eighty four never to return, 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: and moved back in nineteen seven. So now I've been 9 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: that much of a gap. Humph. They're just give or 10 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: take thirteen years. But yeah, now I've been back twenty years. 11 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,639 Speaker 1: So it's a uh it is. You know, for some 12 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: people it seems very direct, but for me, it was 13 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: a very circuitous route. So one of the things I 14 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: like to do is kind of let people know what 15 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: they're what they're getting here. I'm gonna play a few 16 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: of your songs and then we'll just kind of start 17 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: back over. So you wrote The House that Built Me, 18 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: which is just a game angel for anybody, And we'll 19 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: come back around to that one in a second. So 20 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: the House that Built Me Southern Voice with Tim I 21 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: run to you from Lady A. I mean, I have 22 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: a lot of them I'm just getting people a taste here. 23 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: They know the greatness that they're hearing. Raise them up, 24 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: sailing sco. It's just too key, class of you in 25 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: making it too some good stuff and I'm gonna hit 26 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: him with some some other stuff in a minute. Anyway, 27 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: So you come here in nineteen eight to do what well, 28 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: you know, I grew so I grew up in Atlanta. Um, 29 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: I grew up in a household where uh, education and 30 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: job security were really there with a two pre eminent 31 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: uh you know, parts of my life and my childhood. 32 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: My that's kind of what what was preached to me 33 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: by my parents. My father was very musical and love music, 34 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: and really he loved songs. I mean, kind of looking back, 35 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: I have some perspective. So music was a big part 36 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: of our household. But um, you know, I mean my 37 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: mom worked, my dad worked. I mean, they really did 38 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: a lot to try to get me educated. So it 39 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: sounds like they wouldn't want you to have a creative 40 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: job where there's not a lot of security. No, it 41 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: would be I mean for me to have told my 42 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: parents that I was gonna like so I go to 43 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: college and graduate school. And I really did try to 44 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: assimilate into the real world. And I did for a 45 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: while until I was twenty seven. Then I just thought, 46 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: you know, the call of Nashville was so strong that 47 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: I just I didn't really have a great plan, but 48 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: I talked a publisher in Atlanta into letting me pitches 49 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: songs in Nashville. It was Bill Lowry. It was a 50 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: kind of revered publisher in Atlanta. And I came up here, 51 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: and you know, I just got enough money to pitch 52 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: songs and I started meeting people. I just I just 53 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: wanted to be in Nashville. It was you know, it's 54 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: the it's the it's almost like the siren, you know 55 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: in the in mythology where she's calling you, beckoning you. 56 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: Why do you think that? Why did you want to 57 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: come to Nashville so that well, I just I think 58 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 1: it represented songs. It just, uh, were you writing the 59 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: whole time you're working? No, Well, I mean, you know, 60 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: I've written since I was twelve, so I've always you know, 61 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: had a poetic band. I've always loved stories, I've always 62 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: loved songs. I never aspired to be an artist, but 63 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: I just, you know, I just always wrote. It was 64 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: just it was the way that I looked at life, 65 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, uh, it's it was just kind 66 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: of the the filter through which, you know, I saw 67 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: everything through songs and through stories. So it was very 68 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: just second nature to me. I didn't realize that it 69 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: was kind of unique. I thought everybody looked at life 70 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: like that, but um, you know, I just was like, 71 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: you know, I was twenty seven. I didn't really I 72 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: just I just had to do it. It was just 73 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: kind of an unexplainable desire to to be here, just 74 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: to just to get here. So, you know, I just 75 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: kind of loaded up and I just came got an 76 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: apartment and just that I just I just wanted to 77 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: soak up the sights and the sounds and the people 78 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: and what was it? What was what's Nashville like in 79 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty and who was here? Like, who were the 80 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: big names? Was Nashville like nine when you moved? Well, 81 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: it was gosh, I hadn't really thought that much about 82 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: that in a long time. It was like what was happening? Well, okay. 83 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: So the reason why I'm a little disconnected from that 84 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: is because, strangely enough, I did not grow up listening 85 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: to country music. So I grew up listening to you know, 86 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 1: the I mean, I think everybody thinks they grew up 87 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: in the Golden era of music, but I grew up 88 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: with like literally, in August of nineteen sixty four, the 89 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: first concert I went to was Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. 90 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: I saw the Beatles to play, so um. Then I 91 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: grew up with you know, the Beatles and you know 92 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: and Elton John and Springsteen and Jackson Brown. I mean 93 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: that was really I grew up loving the songs of 94 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: Jimmy Webb and Chris Christofferson and Hank Williams. But I 95 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: didn't I didn't listen to country music. So I came 96 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: up here and I still, you know, it was like 97 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: a fish out of water. I didn't really know what 98 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: was going on in music. Row um, and looking back, 99 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: I don't know, I'd have to think about what was 100 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: going on. I wonder what kind of piqued my curiosity. 101 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: You saw the Beatles in nineteen in a in a stadium. 102 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: How does that sound? Because the technology of one playing 103 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: a baseball statim is not that good anyway, even today, 104 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 1: it's it's not the greatest environment for music, and they do. 105 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: But then, right, could you hear them over the screen. 106 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 1: I mean, um, I I still it's indelibly etched in 107 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: my mind, maybe a quarter mile Like I got on 108 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: a bus, a yellow school bus with twenty other kids 109 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: my age, and a couple of mothers and a couple 110 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: of teachers, and we just went to see the Beatles. 111 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: I mean it was, I mean, it was like, I mean, 112 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: so this is like, you know, this is Elvis, you know, 113 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: creates a revolution in nineteen fifty four, so this is 114 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: like only ten years later. And I mean literally, girls screaming, 115 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 1: or was a quarter mile before you got to the stadium. 116 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: You could hear the screen, you could hear the screams, 117 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: and it was I mean from the moment they started 118 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: until you know, until we got a quarter mile away. 119 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: The girls screamed and literally they had like four vox 120 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: amps and they were singing over the p a of 121 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: the of the Brave Stadium. That has to sound terrible 122 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 1: now again to today's standards, But do you remember hearing 123 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: and knowing the songs was the screen? It was? It 124 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: was it was a transcendent experience. It was it was 125 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: just it was just something that, um, I'll never forget. 126 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: It was. I mean, it was truly it was. It 127 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: was mysterious and magical, and uh, I mean it was. 128 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: I don't know, it's it's sounded amazing, you know, even 129 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: though you couldn't hear them, it was almost like they 130 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: were miming. But you you know, it's funny sometimes you 131 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: can hear the songs in your head, which is almost 132 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: as good as you know, somebody singing if you know 133 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: the songs that well. So, so you were about how 134 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: old I was? I think, I mean so I was 135 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: born in nineteen fifty three, so I was eleven. Well 136 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: as an eleven year old, your folks are cool with 137 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: you going to watch the I can't imagine that. I don't. 138 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: I have no idea how my parents let me do it. 139 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: I mean it was, it was, It was be it was, 140 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: but you know, it's a different time. It was pretty 141 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: innocent and up and as I say, you know, my 142 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: father loved it. I mean he kind of lived vicariously 143 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 1: through me. I think. So, I mean they were like, 144 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: didn't seem like that big of a deal. But now 145 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: looking back, like what I let my eleven year old 146 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: children go to Bridgestone and see Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber, 147 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: I mean I'd have to go with him, you know, 148 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: or my wife would. But anyway, yeah, so I mean 149 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: that was kind of my that was my start, and uh, 150 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: you know, and then I get to National nineteen eighty 151 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: from eighty four and I really I just kind of 152 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: wander around. I just meet people. I pitched songs. I'm 153 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: learning how to write songs, and you know, I uh, 154 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: I tour managed a band that went to Europe. And 155 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: you went to Europe. Oh yeah, I mean I was 156 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: the worst tour manager in the history of concert promotion 157 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: in nineteen eight Sorry sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. Right 158 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: in the early eighties, you flew on a airplane across 159 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: the ocean? Did that not scare the How about to you? 160 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: But you could still smoke cigarettes? How about that? So 161 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,839 Speaker 1: I would sit on the back of a plane. There 162 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: was a curtain separating first class from economy, and you know, 163 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: people are just smoking cigarettes on a plane. How crazy 164 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: is that? I guess not that crazy because it was 165 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: always allowed and understood just the way it was. I 166 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: get scared flying over water right now, with technology, I 167 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,679 Speaker 1: cannot I can't imagine, Like, so you're going, you're you're 168 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: doing anything to eat? It sounds like you're just trying 169 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: to Yeah, so I'm just getting by. I'm giving blood 170 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: at a blood bank. Um, you know, you're just doing 171 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: whatever you're doing. But you know it's thrilling and exciting 172 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: and uh but at the end of the time, so 173 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: you know. So now it's nineteen eighty four and I'm 174 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 1: thirty one. So I've got all this education. All my 175 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: friends are yeah, you know, I have gotten married. They've 176 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: got their first job and their second promotion, and you know, 177 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: and I just feel like, golly, now I've wasted ten 178 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 1: years of my life. It was it was very wrestling. 179 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: Do you have any songs at this point that I 180 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: had done anything at all? Um? And I mean it 181 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:11,599 Speaker 1: was really it was you know, I mean, Nashville's hard today, 182 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: but you know, when you don't have anything going on 183 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: that look from the outside looking in, Nashville is a 184 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: very lonely place. So you know, at that time, I 185 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: just so I got up. I gotta do something else. 186 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: So I had met my wife to be, we got engaged, 187 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: and I moved to Texas and tried to put all 188 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: this behind me, and I got in the real estate business. 189 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: So you were out, you were never coming back. I 190 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: was just that was what broke you though? What was 191 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: the final straw? Well, I mean, honestly, I mean there 192 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: you know, there's always, you know, parallel things going on 193 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: in your life. My father had gotten ill, and so 194 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: I brought my father up from Atlanta to live with me. 195 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: And really the combination of my father being ill, caring 196 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: for him, you know, nothing going on in music, making 197 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,079 Speaker 1: no money. I was thirty one, and you know, I've 198 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: always I've always had this vision of like a scoreboard clock, 199 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: and I always see this occasionally, you know, I'll see 200 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,559 Speaker 1: the scoreboard clock and the numbers are just winding down, 201 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: and it always feels like I'm running out of time. 202 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: And so it's like the scoreboard clock. It doesn't always 203 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: it's not always as big as it is. But at 204 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: that time, I remember the thinking, man, I am, I've 205 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: wasted time, and now I'm running out of time. I've 206 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: got my father. So the truth is, I mean, the 207 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: combination of you know, the demoralization of being in Nashville 208 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 1: and caring for my father, I just said, I gotta 209 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 1: do something different. So my I went to Texas and 210 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: moved in with my sister and brother in law, who 211 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: graciously allowed my father not to move in with him. 212 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: I was like, I gotta start all over again. When 213 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: that was and so you started selling, well, I got 214 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: in commercial real estate so and as poorly as I've 215 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: done in music, I really the real estate commercial real 216 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: estate world was terrible. Because you're too young to remember this, 217 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: but interest rates went up to like interest rates today 218 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: or four and a half percent, and there was a 219 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 1: savings and loan crisis, and so everything really just stopped. 220 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: So I was kind of just spinning my wheels again 221 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: being in Texas. But you know, I was getting married 222 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: and you know, starting to have children. I mean, you know, 223 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 1: I was. I was doing fine. It wasn't like I was, 224 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: you know, in some cataconic, catatonic depression, but I was 225 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: just I was just starting over now. I really, honestly, 226 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: I really did. I tried to put the whole music 227 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: thing behind me. I didn't really talk to people about it, 228 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: and I didn't write for uh, you know, a couple 229 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: of years. And then I mean, and the truth is, 230 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: so this is now probably nineteen ninety and I was 231 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: cold calling a shopping center and I was saying, I'm 232 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:15,320 Speaker 1: Tom Douglas with Cornerstone real Estate. At least the shopping 233 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 1: center down the road. If you got any real estate needs, 234 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,719 Speaker 1: I'd be delighted to help you. At the same time, 235 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: I was literally having this conversation with God, and I 236 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: was saying, it just seems strange that now I'm thirty 237 00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: eight or thirty nine and the passion for music was 238 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: still there. It was underlying, you know, the soundtrack was 239 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: playing in my mind. I thought, it seems strange that 240 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: I would be cynical and jaded at thirty nine and 241 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: cold calling a shopping center in August and Texas and 242 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: really and I had an epiphany and it was like, 243 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,439 Speaker 1: God said, well, you've worshiped the creation, which is the song, 244 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,080 Speaker 1: instead of me. How's that working out? It was, I mean, 245 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: it was startling. I was like, well, you're right, I've 246 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: taken this thing, which is in and of itself is good. 247 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: I've kind of made it an idol. I really had 248 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: to destroy the idol of songs. So it's talk about 249 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: a wag walker for one second. One of the great 250 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 1: things about doing this podcast is I can do it 251 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: from home and my dog is here at the house, 252 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: which is different than the radio show. My dog doesn't 253 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: get to come up to the radio show. But I 254 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: do love my dog and if you listen to me 255 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: at all, you know he's fourteen years old. I mean, 256 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: he's been with me through forever, so I do like 257 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: to make sure he's taken care of and for me, 258 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: Wag is awesome. Wags an on demand app for getting 259 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: an a dog walker. It's basically like Uber for dog walkers. 260 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: The thoroughly vetted walkers like I wouldn't trust someone with 261 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: my dog if I didn't trust them, you know what 262 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: I mean, quality people, experienced dogs. I can tell you 263 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: my experience has been fantastic with it, Like I mean, 264 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: that's what I can tell you. Live GPS tracks your 265 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: dog's walk, notification when your dog uses the bathroom with 266 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: your phonnel barkets you. If you wanted to, you get 267 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: a report card after it, So Wag, that's what you 268 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 1: wanted to search Wag. The best part don't have to 269 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: be home Wag since you have free log box, you 270 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: leave alternate home instructions the app and so it's right 271 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: there for you. So it's an on demand app. And again, 272 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: if you love your dog, you can be home and 273 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: they come, or you cannot be home. Wagons and must have. 274 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: If you're a dog owner, you can get your first 275 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: wag for free. To just take theWord text the word 276 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: bones to two five, three to four. Text the word 277 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: bones to two five three two four and you get 278 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: your first wag. But just I searched wag wag walker 279 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: and bam, there you go. You got it. Okay, So 280 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: you come back? And what year to come back to Nashville? 281 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: I moved here in nine back in so so, but 282 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: you know so, but so. I don't know if if 283 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: you want to go chronologically, but but so what happened 284 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: was I kind of slowly regained my love for music 285 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: and started writing songs again and feeling like I was 286 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: always starting over. That's when I went to SMU early 287 00:15:55,960 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: one Saturday morning and probably and you know, I started 288 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: writing the song Little Rock, which really was just autobiographical. 289 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: I just Colin Ray, Colin right. I played little bit 290 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: of this is Apple marketsas that we played this, Yeah, 291 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: I'm a stone baby, wait and see, I got this 292 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: one small problem here in little without you, So you're 293 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: right this when you're still living in Texas. And then 294 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: I go to odd joint songwriter associations everywhere I went. 295 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,160 Speaker 1: I went to Austin. In the summer of ninety three, 296 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: reconnected with Paul Whorley, whom I had known as a 297 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: guitar player when I lived in in Nashville, you know, 298 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: nine years earlier, and um gave him a cassette at 299 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: the cocktail party, expecting him never to listen to it. 300 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: In about two weeks ago, by any calls him one days, 301 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: I've been listened to a couple of these songs. I 302 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: think I like him. What you let me run with 303 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: it and see if I can get anything going. And 304 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: so Paul signed me to Sony Publishing and the first 305 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: song I got recorded was a little rock. The first 306 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: song we got recorded at forty one years old is 307 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: this monster right here. Everybody knows the song. I saw 308 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: Adam Craig when he was on your show. Yeah, I 309 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: think you just asked him and I was like, I 310 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: was like, can you play calling? He Adam Craig has 311 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,239 Speaker 1: that calling rady text you his voice. I mean this 312 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: song I hear it reminds in my childhood, like that's 313 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:41,919 Speaker 1: how strong this song is. And in fact that you 314 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: wrote it handed it off. I never thought you get 315 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: a call? When did it go? Hey? And how far 316 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: along was calling in his career, Colin, he had had 317 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: he'd had loved me and he had and he'd had 318 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: Uh is it in this life? He'd had it. He'd 319 00:17:58,080 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 1: had a couple of hits, I mean, and he was 320 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: everybody loved his voice, and Paul was producing him, and yeah, 321 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: I mean it was you know, so I mean after 322 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, Paul basically signed me just based 323 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: on that song. And uh you know, miraculously column Ree 324 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: recorded it. So does that song end up being? Is 325 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 1: that what makes you move to Nashville? Well, but then 326 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: you know, I had such a mistrust for Nashville, which 327 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: is I think healthy that I commuted up here one 328 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: week a month for four years and then move my 329 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 1: family back in n for four years. You commuted back 330 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 1: and forth to Nashville. I still stay in the real 331 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 1: estate business. I was sure it wasn't gonna work. I 332 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: just thought this was a one off. And uh uh, 333 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: I'm still not sure it's gonna work. But what a 334 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 1: one off? Like that's a monster. Okay, so you move 335 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 1: back thinking I can make a good run of this again, 336 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: what makes you think, okay, I have to move back now? Well, 337 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: you know, it was forty five and I've been up 338 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: here enough, I've made a few relationships. Sony is the 339 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: only publisher I've ever had, and so they they made 340 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: it possible. I mean, so now I'm forty five, i 341 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:14,879 Speaker 1: have three children, and uh, you know, kind of my 342 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: second renewal was coming up with Sony and they said, 343 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: you know, we really think you could do this, but 344 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: it would be better for you and for us if 345 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 1: you were here. And so they made it possible. And 346 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 1: I was. My father had had had just passed away, 347 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: and it was almost like I had a clean break, 348 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 1: just to start a start out all over again. See 349 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: you moved to Nashville. What's your first taste of success 350 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: as a Nashville song right? Well, and then Colin Ray 351 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:48,199 Speaker 1: recorded a song called Love Remains, and uh, you know, 352 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 1: and the gift. I mean, it was still slow going 353 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: because everything I've ever done has been it's just it's 354 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: it's it's it's really left of center. I've never really 355 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,920 Speaker 1: been able to go right down the middle of the fairway. 356 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: I'm either on the far left or the far right. 357 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: But it seems like so far at least with the 358 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: Calling Ray stuff. And we'll get to the rest of it. 359 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: You actually make the fairway, like what you do. When 360 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: it becomes successful, it shifts everything else to it. Well sometimes, 361 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,800 Speaker 1: you know, I mean I've I've had to the hardest 362 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: thing over all the years, you know. I mean, now 363 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: I've written like songs in twenty four years. But the 364 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: hardest thing is just convincing myself to still do what 365 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: I do. I still have such a tendency to follow 366 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,399 Speaker 1: trends or try to be something that I'm not, and 367 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,199 Speaker 1: I I really have tried, but it's almost like, you know, 368 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: a piano vocal with a cello is like that. Really, 369 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 1: that's that's almost all I can do every song. It's 370 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: kind of that. Tell me about this one here you 371 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: pretty familiar voice. Yeah, well that that was again, you know, 372 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: I mean, I wouldn't have a career without Paul Whorley. 373 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 1: So that was again Paul, And I mean, I uh so, 374 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: I do love Springsteen. I love you too. I love 375 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: Dylan and the you know, the the device that they 376 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: use in a lot of songs, or you know, the 377 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: verses or vignettes, three completely unrelated vignettes and it's tied 378 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: together by like a two line chorus. I mean, like 379 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,199 Speaker 1: grown men don't cry as I don't know why they 380 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: say grown men don't cry. I don't know why they 381 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,120 Speaker 1: say grown mean don't cry. Loves the only house big 382 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: enough for all the pain of the world, loves the 383 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,159 Speaker 1: only house. I mean, it's like I love songs like that. 384 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: That's that's kind of in my my d n A 385 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 1: because I've listened to so many songs like that. So 386 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 1: I but I start all these songs on piano and 387 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 1: then I have to find somebody somehow too, you know, 388 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: to translate it, to make it, you know, you know, 389 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 1: make it sound like a record. Um. So that happens 390 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 1: in the studio sometimes. But I mean even the house 391 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: that built me as the demo was a piano vocal 392 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: which I have here in the demo, the sone of 393 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 1: fuck that's this place a feeling, the sprokenness side, and 394 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: my song he down here. It is like I'm someone else, 395 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 1: a dount that maybe I could find mysel who's singing 396 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,479 Speaker 1: that's me, that like could just come in. What are 397 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: you talking about? You're not a vocalist. That's like something 398 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 1: Bruce Springsteen meets Tom Wade kind of from the house. 399 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: Listen to that build Me, Mama. I buy that version 400 00:22:55,440 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 1: the well, so all I can do is like if 401 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: I do that, and then I have to the success 402 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,679 Speaker 1: I've had. I mean, now I've co written most of 403 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,199 Speaker 1: these songs, as you know, like that was with the 404 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: Great Alan Shambling. Uh, the I have to I mean, 405 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: if it's if it's, if it's what I do, which 406 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: is the piano vocal, I have to then find an 407 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: artist that can take that original but then translate it 408 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: to you know, to what they do, and that that 409 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 1: doesn't often happen. So when you make this demo and 410 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: you do you shop it or does someone go this 411 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,199 Speaker 1: is perfect? Well we you know, we were allan and 412 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: I worked on that for seven years. Uh you know, 413 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: we started it, uh and then we demoed it, turned 414 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: it into the publisher and they were like, yeah, that's cool, 415 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 1: which you know, it's like code's big for this will 416 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: never see the light of day, and where it's maddening. 417 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: You know, you think everybody's raging idiot and only the 418 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: look in the mirror and realized that you're the raging idiot. 419 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: So yeah, um, but we worked on it, we redemoed it, 420 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: you know, and we just kept we knew that there 421 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 1: was something there and the truth is, we had too 422 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: much detail. And at the very end, so you know, 423 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: seven years later from when we started, we just laid 424 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 1: the lyrics down on the coffee table and said, what 425 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: is wrong. There's something that's not connecting, and we didn't 426 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 1: have uh, well, we had to take out some detail, 427 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,919 Speaker 1: and we didn't have If I can just come in, 428 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,199 Speaker 1: I swear I'll leave, won't take nothing but a memory. 429 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: We didn't have that, which is the line that precedes 430 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: the hook. And as you know, the line that precedes 431 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: the hook is often more important or as important as 432 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: the hook itself. Why would you say this song for 433 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: seven years? Well, you know, I mean I love songs, 434 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,120 Speaker 1: I really do, you know, and it's well it's it's 435 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 1: a love hate relationship. But songs that are unfinished, they 436 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: just they kind of drive me crazy. And um, I 437 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: don't do that with all songs, but there are certain 438 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 1: songs that you're just like loves the Only House took 439 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: It took years. Um, you know, multiple demos, and you know, 440 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: you just you just you just have to you know, 441 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,399 Speaker 1: you just have a feeling about certain songs and you 442 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: just gotta stay with it. You know. Rewriting really does 443 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 1: help with a lot, you know in songs. I mean, 444 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: time does make some songs better. I'm curious to know 445 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: that's we're talking about the house that built me. It 446 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,119 Speaker 1: took that long. How did you know you were done? 447 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,879 Speaker 1: And then when do you make that move to go okay, 448 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: now really what I'm done? Yeah? Can we get an artist? 449 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: I don't you know, it's almost like I think for 450 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,440 Speaker 1: the songwriter, it's almost not up to us to even 451 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: ask that question, you know, we're so we have to 452 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,920 Speaker 1: be all process and detach ourselves from the end result. 453 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,959 Speaker 1: So it's almost like, alright, so we we wrote it, 454 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: demoed it, turned it in. Nothing wrote it, demo turned 455 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: it in, nothing wrote it, demoed it, turned it in. 456 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: You know, the siren screamed and the red lights flashed, 457 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 1: and that's when we knew, you know, it's I mean, 458 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 1: everything we do is kind of based on what four 459 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: other people in the world think. So it's if though, 460 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: if if the bill rings of those four of the people, 461 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 1: then we're good. If not, then we just have to 462 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: keep going. So is Miranda the first one to put 463 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,959 Speaker 1: it on hold? Well, I mean it honestly, it was 464 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 1: one of those like you know, it was you know, 465 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 1: it was like an atomic bomb. I mean, it was 466 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:45,360 Speaker 1: one of those palpable reactions where everybody loved it. Um 467 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: you know, went on hold for literally everybody at the 468 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: same time. And of course we were trying to get 469 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: the song to Blake Shelton and you know, so the 470 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: story goes, so Sony Terry Wakefield plays it for Scott Hendricks, 471 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: who's producing Blake Shelton. Scott Hendrick sends the uh, you know, 472 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 1: a tape or a CD with ten songs on it 473 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: to Blake Shelton every week to listen to songs. He 474 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 1: comes back from tour one wind swept Oklahoma night, he 475 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: puts the CD in his truck and he's going down 476 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:23,199 Speaker 1: this highway and third song in it's the House of 477 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,679 Speaker 1: Building Me. His girlfriend at the time, starts weeping and 478 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: he says, baby, what's wrong, And she says, that's my story. 479 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: And he said, well, if that's your story, maybe that's 480 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: your song. So if you want to get a song 481 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: to Miranda Lambert, you work on it seven years, you 482 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: pitch it to everybody, get it on hold for Blake Shelton, 483 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 1: and Miranda hears it. So it's it's a it's a mysterious. 484 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: Uh event, I have no idea how to get a 485 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: song to Miranda Lambert. I really don't. So you get words, 486 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: she's cutting the song, and at that point is that 487 00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:58,919 Speaker 1: she's cutting it and we think it could be a 488 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: single for the radio or is it Jess, she's cutting 489 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,199 Speaker 1: a song. She's cutting a song. But I mean, you know, 490 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: most songwriters and I don't know, we really are fans. 491 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: I mean we're fans of music, and we're fans of 492 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,360 Speaker 1: country artists, and we really we love country music. So 493 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: everybody loves, loved and loves Miranda. And so the fact 494 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: that as great a songwriter as she is, that she 495 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: was cutting a song that she didn't write was you know, 496 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:30,920 Speaker 1: an equal honor. And so, you know, the producer Franklindell 497 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: called me, you know, after she recorded it, and he came, 498 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:37,719 Speaker 1: you know, to his office and played it for him, 499 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: and it was so stark. It was like, I mean, 500 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: it was like it was like two guitars and a vocal. 501 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 1: It was like I was like, I literally have said, 502 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: you're not gonna put any drums on it. I mean, 503 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: it was like it was just it was so like 504 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: just bear that I was honestly I was. I was 505 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 1: probably probably was discouraged. I was like, oh man, this 506 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,719 Speaker 1: is this is I don't know what this is, but 507 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: this is it just doesn't sound like anything that i'd 508 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: really heard before in country music. But thank goodness, they 509 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 1: were true to their ideals and their art. And for 510 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: both of you, Miranda and for you, this this is 511 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: a career changer. Yeah it's it's yeah, yeah, it's a 512 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: career changer. It certainly is, uh for Alan and me, 513 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: and uh yeah, I mean it was, yeah, it was. 514 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: I mean everything about it was just phenomenal. I'm gonna 515 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: play it and to hear you talk about it and 516 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: to hear it right here, just this place, it's broken 517 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: when you hear it right now, removed a bit, yea, 518 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: removed from the process, removed from the awards, Like, what 519 00:29:57,720 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: do you think right now when you hear it's just 520 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,160 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's goose bumps. It's just it's something 521 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 1: that you know, it's just it's I think it's that's 522 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: what music is it it um you know her, she 523 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,640 Speaker 1: really has made the song her own, which is the 524 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: ultimate compliment to a songwriter, and that's Miranda song. And 525 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: it's just that's the greatest honor I think you can 526 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 1: have as a writer. And it's you know, it's just 527 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 1: it does what art is supposed to do, which is 528 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 1: it It reduces our defenses. It opens us up and 529 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 1: helps us not feel numb and feels something again. And 530 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 1: so much of life is all about numbing us, you know, 531 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: in the chaos of life. The headlines. Uh, it's it's 532 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:54,719 Speaker 1: it's a numbing you know. Uh, that's a numbing process. 533 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 1: And that's I think art. That's what art does. It 534 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 1: It reminds us to feel something again when you have 535 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: a song like that and it's that big of a hit, 536 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: and you've already had hits. We'll play some of the 537 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: other other ones too, But do people start knocking on 538 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: the door a lot more? You know what you would think? So, 539 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: I mean we, you know, were Alan and I both 540 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: we thought, all right, we're gonna try to leverage this 541 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 1: to write with John Legend or Beyonce or Adele or 542 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: you know, kind of you had visions of grandeur, and honestly, 543 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: none of that materialized. I mean like nothing, it was 544 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: like and I still don't I don't know why. Now. 545 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: Oddly enough, over over time, you know, allan and I thought, 546 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: you know, within the first year, we're gonna get all 547 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: these very fascinating co writes, and it just it really 548 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: didn't happen. I mean, we had, you know, we were 549 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: able to write songs, but I don't know. I think 550 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: we I think Allen and I got a little lost 551 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: in the in the in the in the tidal wave 552 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: of the song. Tell me about this one here, because 553 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:04,200 Speaker 1: I got a lot of them that what you talk about. 554 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: I run to you from Lady Eggs. See you're right 555 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: this with them, Yeah, all three of them, all three 556 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: of them. So you know, as the publisher sets you 557 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: up with the next big thing, you know, weekly, the 558 00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 1: next big thing in Nashville, there's a buzz all of 559 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:31,040 Speaker 1: a sudden, there's this fresh faced trio with kind of 560 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 1: a crazy name, and um so that you know, Lady 561 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: Annabellum is coming to your house in two weeks. So, 562 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 1: I mean, and I love what they had done. I've 563 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,840 Speaker 1: heard their demos and I think I've seen them around 564 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 1: playing and so you know, I'm as a professional songwriter, 565 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to have great ideas. That's why they're coming 566 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 1: to you. So they show up and it's like, you know, 567 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: with the successive day. I'm like, the more time I 568 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: have to prepare air for something more paralyzed, I've become. 569 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 1: So I had I couldn't run, I couldn't rhyme blue 570 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 1: with you. So I'm running in the Nashville Marathon. Oddly enough, 571 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: the weekend before, I followed this guy for five miles. 572 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:14,479 Speaker 1: He's got to run this town on the back of 573 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: his T shirt. So I'm thinking metaphorically symbolically, I run 574 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 1: this town like the mayor, like a mafia boss, like 575 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: you know, from point A to point being. I'm delirious 576 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: following this guy. I developed an intense hatred for the guy. 577 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 1: Monday morning, they show up and they're gonna come at ten. 578 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 1: I'm sick to my stomach. I'm thinking this, how is 579 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: this possible? I've got and I have no ideas, and 580 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:44,280 Speaker 1: so literally they came, you know, eager, expectant, you know, 581 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: for me to have a you know, at least a 582 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: decent idea, and uh. I literally I put my hands 583 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: down on the piano and up saying, you know, I 584 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 1: run from haye and I run from prejudice. And as 585 00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: I was even singing that, I was thinking, I don't 586 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: even know what it means, and I'm I wrote it. 587 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,600 Speaker 1: I wrote these words, and I opened up my my 588 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: eyes to think they're packing their briefcases and leaving and 589 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,280 Speaker 1: they're like, man, that is that is brilliant. Of course, 590 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:16,359 Speaker 1: I said, I've been saving that for you for week. 591 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:21,880 Speaker 1: So unfortunately they hung in there and that was But 592 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: you know, it's very poetic. It's odd words. You know, 593 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:31,200 Speaker 1: it's prejudice, pessimist. I mean, it's it's I love poetry. 594 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:36,880 Speaker 1: I'm really I'm I'm crazy about words, and uh, you know, 595 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: I mean, words are important, They're important to me. But 596 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 1: I really think people come to songs. I think I 597 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 1: think people think the first I mean you would. I'd 598 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,960 Speaker 1: be curious to see what you say about this. So 599 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 1: let me make a gross, sweeping generalization. Rhythm is the 600 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: foundation of songs. What do you say to that. I 601 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: think they a lot of songs that I love and 602 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:04,839 Speaker 1: I have no idea what the words are. But but 603 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: I think more importantly than melody or chords or production, 604 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,800 Speaker 1: it's rhythm. Rhythm really is what rhythm is what draws 605 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: us in um and I have really I haven't really 606 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: paid attention to that through the last twenty four years. 607 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: But the longer I'm doing this, the more and more 608 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: I'm I'm at least paying attention to rhythm. There's this 609 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:35,200 Speaker 1: song now, yeah, if you're desposito Desposito, it's like the 610 00:35:35,239 --> 00:35:38,680 Speaker 1: new most dream song ever, YouTube song ever. It's all Spanish. 611 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: I don't know why I love it. It's got a 612 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 1: rhythm of this. Oh yeah, I have I heard about 613 00:35:44,239 --> 00:35:46,720 Speaker 1: it because it's the most stream song. Yeah, and again 614 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: you say that I don't know a single word of 615 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: its fascinating, but I listened to the whole thing and 616 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:52,319 Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, do you get it? Like this is 617 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 1: this my jam? I feel it like I know what. 618 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: I don't know what they're saying, but I know what 619 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 1: they're trying to say. Well, you're you're you know how 620 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: it makes you feel, which is you know that. That's 621 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:03,360 Speaker 1: what they often say is that I'm not really I 622 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,640 Speaker 1: don't really remember what he said, but I know I 623 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,319 Speaker 1: remember how he made me feel. That's a lot of 624 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:13,120 Speaker 1: times that's what music. Does you teach songwriting? Well, yes, 625 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 1: how do you teach songwriting? Like I want to take 626 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: your class? Right? Well, I really specifically it's lyric writing, 627 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:24,799 Speaker 1: so you know, we do get into the whole thing 628 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 1: of songwriting. But I still am affiliated with Belmont. Um, 629 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:35,200 Speaker 1: I love Belmont, But I taught lyric writing with my 630 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:37,400 Speaker 1: co talk with a friend of mine for five years, 631 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: and um, you know, really, I mean lyric writing is uh, 632 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:46,399 Speaker 1: you know, it's just trying to get people to not 633 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 1: edit what they do and just you have to kind 634 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: of start free form. Um. I mean like literally, if 635 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 1: we were going through an exercise would be like, let's 636 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,759 Speaker 1: you and I go to the Frist Museum and let's 637 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: see whatever exhibit is there, and let's walk around those 638 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 1: rooms and let's just let's just find a painting or 639 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:09,799 Speaker 1: a sculpture that means something to you that you just 640 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:14,040 Speaker 1: you just like, and then let's come back and maybe 641 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:17,880 Speaker 1: take a picture of it, and let's write a short 642 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:24,280 Speaker 1: story that you know that illuminates whatever this picture happens 643 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 1: to be. And you know, so you write two and 644 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 1: or fifty words and then you say, okay, so you know, 645 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:34,719 Speaker 1: if like, what's the main point from that tour or 646 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: in fifty word essay, uh, you know, it's you know, 647 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: it's you know, it's fear of flying. Uh, and you know, 648 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:47,680 Speaker 1: and so you just kind of start, uh, you know, 649 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:51,040 Speaker 1: lyric writing particularly is just it's just getting in touch 650 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: with who you are, giving yourself permission to feel. And um, 651 00:37:56,680 --> 00:38:01,399 Speaker 1: I think there are two types of songs and two 652 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: kinds of songwriters. I'm always trying to remember something, and 653 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 1: I think most people are trying to forget something. So 654 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:15,160 Speaker 1: every song I write is really about remembrance. But I 655 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 1: mean the majority of songs that you play on your 656 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:24,400 Speaker 1: radio show, I think are about forgetting. Example of each place, Well, um, 657 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 1: like what's the what's the number one song? And take 658 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:33,840 Speaker 1: um uh, take Thomas Rhett and Mary Morris a song. Okay, 659 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: So that's that's about I think that's that's the whole thing. 660 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:45,400 Speaker 1: Makes you forget something, it's your uh. I mean, if 661 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:47,399 Speaker 1: I were to put myself, you know, in the mind 662 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:49,879 Speaker 1: of the writers, they're just they're they're just it's it's 663 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 1: just about one small unique experience, which is it's a 664 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:59,520 Speaker 1: moment in time. It's a relationship, it's a thing, and 665 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,840 Speaker 1: it's it's you're not it's there's no there's no past 666 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,879 Speaker 1: and there's no future. It's just all right now. So 667 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:09,560 Speaker 1: it's to me, it's a disconnect from you know, from 668 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 1: the before, and a disconnect from the after um, I 669 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: mean any of those songs. I mean, the House of 670 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:20,320 Speaker 1: Built Me is you know, I'm trying to I've gotten 671 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 1: lost and i can't remember where I'm from or to 672 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:28,400 Speaker 1: whom I belong, and it's just about coming back home 673 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: and remembering who you are. We play this one here, 674 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:39,360 Speaker 1: Keith and Church when you rode this was it written 675 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 1: for two people? You? No? No, And I mean honestly, 676 00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:46,000 Speaker 1: Jeffrey Steele and I walked in on Jaren Johnston, who's 677 00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:50,400 Speaker 1: an amazing songwriter in the being Cadillac three, and Jared 678 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,319 Speaker 1: kind of had this thing started and he had he 679 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:56,279 Speaker 1: had the title. So Jeffrey and I just were like 680 00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:58,920 Speaker 1: kids in a candy store. And all all we started 681 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: do is we just we just started every I mean 682 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:05,440 Speaker 1: you'd like literally we just sat there and thought, let's 683 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: connect everything that could possibly connected with the words raise 684 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:14,919 Speaker 1: them up, and let's just fill the verses full with that. 685 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:17,640 Speaker 1: So raise up a glass, raise up a sale, raise 686 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:20,879 Speaker 1: up a you know, raise a toast, you know, raise 687 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:24,759 Speaker 1: up a flag, you know, raise up a child. It's 688 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 1: just I mean that that's that is just kind of 689 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:32,359 Speaker 1: a free form association of of of one of three 690 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:34,600 Speaker 1: words raise them up, did that would feel good? And 691 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:38,360 Speaker 1: completely finished it? Yeah? That was that was That was quick. 692 00:40:38,440 --> 00:40:41,640 Speaker 1: It was one day Jaran does these amazing little demos 693 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 1: and um, I mean I think we played it for 694 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:49,040 Speaker 1: a few people. But then when we heard Keith loved it, 695 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:52,000 Speaker 1: that was amazing. And but then, I mean, then we 696 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:55,600 Speaker 1: have heard this through the you know, through the years. 697 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:57,800 Speaker 1: I don't I mean Keith didn't say this, but I've 698 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:00,080 Speaker 1: heard people say that he got a little bit it 699 00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 1: uncomfortable with the fact that he's Australian and there's a 700 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:07,040 Speaker 1: patriotic verse and he was like, I don't know if 701 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:09,560 Speaker 1: I can pull this off in an Australian gasling about 702 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:12,320 Speaker 1: you know, fist black and blue, fight for the truth? 703 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:16,400 Speaker 1: Can you can? He sing? And I think it's the producer, 704 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:20,880 Speaker 1: like Nathan Chapman said, well, what if we got, you know, 705 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: somebody to come in and sing it with you? And 706 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 1: I think he just said that's brilliantly. So I don't 707 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:28,800 Speaker 1: know if that was Keith's idea or Nathan's, but somebody 708 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 1: had a great idea to get Eric Church involved and 709 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:34,920 Speaker 1: that was that was That was amazing. Nobody boy American 710 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 1: and Eric Church, That's right. It's about as American as 711 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,320 Speaker 1: a Ya's Wow, what a story. I love this George 712 00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:50,319 Speaker 1: Straight song I got and to get George the song, well, 713 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:53,879 Speaker 1: George Straight loves Keith Gadus. Keith Gaddis is a real 714 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 1: He's a real cowboyot so that's I wrote that with Keith. 715 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:02,360 Speaker 1: And I mean, I'm not ain't this to be disingenuous. Honestly, 716 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:05,480 Speaker 1: I sat there while Keith kind of wrote that song, 717 00:42:05,719 --> 00:42:09,440 Speaker 1: and I just was like, that's great, that's great. Can 718 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:14,080 Speaker 1: I get you more coffee? That's amazing? Um, And he does, 719 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:17,040 Speaker 1: you know, I mean Keith Gaddis he you know, he 720 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,319 Speaker 1: still is an artist, but I mean he's he just 721 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:25,799 Speaker 1: he you know, he just bleeds that West Texas you know, 722 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:29,440 Speaker 1: cattle rancher, which is George Straight. So you say that 723 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: that you sat there, But if you're writing, you know, 724 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:34,800 Speaker 1: and you're a lot of time, you know, a thousands 725 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:37,319 Speaker 1: sounds of songs, does it kind of balance out where 726 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:39,759 Speaker 1: they're also songs that you wrote and somebody else has 727 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:43,560 Speaker 1: sat there? Well yeah, and and yes, yes, I mean 728 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:46,399 Speaker 1: there are days where you're the editor in their days 729 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:49,080 Speaker 1: where you're the artist in the room. Um, so you 730 00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 1: just you just kind of there can't be I think 731 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 1: you can't. There can't be two artists they compete, and 732 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:55,839 Speaker 1: there can't be two editors. Somebody's got to take the lead. 733 00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:59,359 Speaker 1: So I have done this long enough that I really 734 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: I do want to facilitate whatever's that. We just want 735 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:06,239 Speaker 1: to honor the song. What does the song need? That's 736 00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:08,560 Speaker 1: what I want to you know, that's what I want 737 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:12,040 Speaker 1: to do. That's really interesting that you you say it 738 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,959 Speaker 1: like that, because no one said it before. Where you're 739 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,680 Speaker 1: kind of filling roles and the role is gonna be 740 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:20,480 Speaker 1: feel differently each time you write a song, right, But 741 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:25,600 Speaker 1: somebody's driving and somebody's got the map out right. That 742 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 1: that's and I haven't been able to articulate like that, 743 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,680 Speaker 1: but that's exactly like we've got a destination. The destination 744 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:37,160 Speaker 1: is the song. The journey is the process. Yeah, so 745 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:39,600 Speaker 1: you you that can't be two drivers and it can't 746 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:42,439 Speaker 1: be two navigators. Man, you should really write songs because 747 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:47,360 Speaker 1: it's it's fantastic, fantastic. How about this on here back 748 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:51,840 Speaker 1: with Mamma's the porch, come on in, suffers on the 749 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:56,719 Speaker 1: stove and beers and every when the song came out 750 00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,080 Speaker 1: and for me I grew up listening to him on 751 00:43:59,120 --> 00:44:02,120 Speaker 1: the radio. Guy grew up and it was Garth and 752 00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:04,360 Speaker 1: Tim and you know even you play calling right like 753 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:06,800 Speaker 1: that to me was when I was listening to Kiss 754 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:08,080 Speaker 1: the ninety six and on the rock are u s 755 00:44:08,120 --> 00:44:10,480 Speaker 1: ninety seven and Hot Springs, those are the artists on 756 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:13,239 Speaker 1: and I remember, you know, Tim growing up listening to 757 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 1: it just to start with obviously any out Long and 758 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:18,440 Speaker 1: Don't Take the Girl, like his first couple of singles, 759 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:20,440 Speaker 1: and then following him all the way up. And when 760 00:44:20,440 --> 00:44:22,360 Speaker 1: this song came out, I was actually on the radio 761 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:25,480 Speaker 1: getting to play it. I was like, man, this is 762 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 1: so traditionally progressive. It was almost like a rewind song 763 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:34,439 Speaker 1: that still sounded like today. When you write a song 764 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:36,480 Speaker 1: like that, do you feel like you're doing that, like 765 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,560 Speaker 1: you're trying to take a step back. I don't know, 766 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:42,040 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't think it's as I don't think 767 00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:45,400 Speaker 1: it's as conscious as that. You know, we're all the 768 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:49,520 Speaker 1: everything we do is the you know, summation of everything 769 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:52,000 Speaker 1: that that you know that's come before us. So we're 770 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:56,439 Speaker 1: all we're borrowing from ourselves, We're borrowing from I mean 771 00:44:56,480 --> 00:45:00,279 Speaker 1: that is very similar to you know, just to see 772 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:04,319 Speaker 1: you smile, just to see you smile. But the trend, though, 773 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:06,319 Speaker 1: was not that when that song came out. I know, 774 00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:09,640 Speaker 1: I mean that's the magic of Tim McGraw who continues 775 00:45:09,719 --> 00:45:13,680 Speaker 1: to reinvent himself and kind of defy tradition. When it 776 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:17,719 Speaker 1: gets real, you know, real progressive, he'll do that. And 777 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:20,799 Speaker 1: then when it gets real country, he'll do you know, 778 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 1: you know, live like you're dying. I mean, he is 779 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:28,480 Speaker 1: a you know, he's a he's a metamorphosis. You have 780 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:30,120 Speaker 1: a lot of Tim cuts, and I mean I have 781 00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:32,040 Speaker 1: five up here and you may have more than that. 782 00:45:32,080 --> 00:45:35,280 Speaker 1: But so are you in the what they call Tim 783 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:39,720 Speaker 1: camp where he he I love Tim mcgrawl. And again, 784 00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:42,319 Speaker 1: I mean he has recorded more of my songs anybody, so, 785 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,040 Speaker 1: so temps recording more of you than anybody knows. So 786 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:49,719 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I mean if Tim and I 787 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:55,680 Speaker 1: are friends, but you know, I mean, as artists, they 788 00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:59,879 Speaker 1: have to be like, what's the best for this wreck 789 00:46:00,239 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 1: at this particular moment. So at the same time that 790 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:05,720 Speaker 1: they have a voice. And if someone has a voice 791 00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:08,880 Speaker 1: like your inner voice, and you're like, man, they actually speak, 792 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:12,600 Speaker 1: they speak like I speak. Do you feel like you 793 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:16,799 Speaker 1: didn't have that. Well, excuse me, yeah, I think so. 794 00:46:16,920 --> 00:46:19,799 Speaker 1: I mean, I mean he has three children. I have 795 00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:23,840 Speaker 1: three children. Um. The way I really got connected to 796 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:26,319 Speaker 1: him was was through Grown Indo Cry. That was the 797 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:31,000 Speaker 1: first song he had. And then, uh, he invited me 798 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:33,319 Speaker 1: to come out to California when he was doing the 799 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:36,440 Speaker 1: movie Flicker because they needed an entitle for the movie. 800 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:38,640 Speaker 1: And so I went out there and I spent a 801 00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:41,279 Speaker 1: couple of nights on the set with him and met 802 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:44,560 Speaker 1: Billy Bob Thornton and it was an amazing experience. But 803 00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:46,960 Speaker 1: just trying to soak up the sights and sounds of 804 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:51,480 Speaker 1: that movie and uh, so you know, yeah, there's certainly 805 00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:56,040 Speaker 1: commonalities to his life. I think we probably, you know, 806 00:46:56,080 --> 00:46:58,000 Speaker 1: in some ways the way we look at life and 807 00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:07,840 Speaker 1: think are similar. This one here, Well, I love I 808 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:11,400 Speaker 1: love the South. I love my daughters and my wife. 809 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:13,600 Speaker 1: I went to Old miss So I spent a lot 810 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:17,600 Speaker 1: of time in Oxford, Oxford, Mississippi. Oxford has this amazing 811 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:21,200 Speaker 1: bookstore called Square Books. And you walk in Square Books 812 00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:27,200 Speaker 1: and it's got um a great poster that says, you know, uh, Southerners, 813 00:47:27,239 --> 00:47:30,120 Speaker 1: we may not know how to uh talk, but we 814 00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:32,400 Speaker 1: sure know how to write. And they have pictures of 815 00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:37,040 Speaker 1: Udora Welty and you know, Robert pin Warren, William Faulkner 816 00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:40,279 Speaker 1: and Flannery O'Connor, and I just I just started thinking 817 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:44,360 Speaker 1: about the distinctive way that Southerners think, talk and the 818 00:47:44,400 --> 00:47:46,520 Speaker 1: way that we look at the world. It really is 819 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,319 Speaker 1: is very different than other parts of the country, and 820 00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:53,520 Speaker 1: just kind of what a Southern voice is. And so 821 00:47:53,719 --> 00:47:56,080 Speaker 1: my friend Bob Depiro, who's from you know, it's not 822 00:47:56,239 --> 00:48:00,479 Speaker 1: he's from Ohio, but he you know that that really 823 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:02,279 Speaker 1: was so fun to write because we just kind of 824 00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:06,640 Speaker 1: name checked every famous Southerner that there was, from Michael 825 00:48:06,719 --> 00:48:09,319 Speaker 1: Jordan's to you know, Bear Bryant to Billy Graham to 826 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:12,640 Speaker 1: Dale Earnhardt. It was just that was that was a 827 00:48:12,640 --> 00:48:16,439 Speaker 1: fun one to write. Did you write today? I did 828 00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:19,879 Speaker 1: right today. How do you feel bout Today's right? Well, 829 00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:22,359 Speaker 1: today it was with my least favorite co writer, which 830 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:24,840 Speaker 1: is myself. So I was I was working on a 831 00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:28,719 Speaker 1: song by myself. Uh so it's it's you know, it's 832 00:48:29,800 --> 00:48:36,600 Speaker 1: it is. The songs that right by myself are different. Um, 833 00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:38,759 Speaker 1: but you know it's I don't know, it's it's kind 834 00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:42,120 Speaker 1: of a beautiful, torturous relationship. You know, when you're right 835 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:46,960 Speaker 1: by yourself, I really do like it. It's uh, I 836 00:48:47,040 --> 00:48:49,880 Speaker 1: love co writing, but I do I really like writing 837 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:52,440 Speaker 1: by myself as well. How hard is it to remember 838 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,160 Speaker 1: all the writers did you write with? Because you throughout 839 00:48:55,160 --> 00:48:59,879 Speaker 1: a number that you've been how many songs you don't 840 00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:02,080 Speaker 1: know every code writer you've wtten with. People were like, hey, 841 00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 1: you wrote this song. Is it a hard do you 842 00:49:03,680 --> 00:49:05,960 Speaker 1: have to let go back and cramp sometimes? Well? Yeah, 843 00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:09,120 Speaker 1: I mean I was like, you know, in the last year, 844 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:11,080 Speaker 1: I was at a restaurant. I was eating dinner with 845 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 1: some friends and it was a coat. It was a 846 00:49:14,840 --> 00:49:17,600 Speaker 1: songwriter and his wife and this girl comes up to 847 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:21,960 Speaker 1: the table and they're talking and because my friend Barry Dean, 848 00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:26,120 Speaker 1: he says, this is Stephanie, and uh, I said, Stephanie, 849 00:49:26,200 --> 00:49:28,000 Speaker 1: some nice to meet you. And she said, well, actually 850 00:49:28,719 --> 00:49:34,360 Speaker 1: we've written together. And I was like, that's embarrassing, and 851 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:37,759 Speaker 1: I trickly tried to quickly try to recover. Oh yes, yeah, 852 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:41,080 Speaker 1: I remember that it was but anyway, yeah, it's uh. 853 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:43,440 Speaker 1: But you know, we're all kind of about the songwriters 854 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:46,240 Speaker 1: are about all the next thing, like whatever has happened 855 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:49,760 Speaker 1: in the past, it's just it just doesn't matter. Songs 856 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:53,799 Speaker 1: in a sense, even the catalog, all these songs, I mean, 857 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:57,080 Speaker 1: they sound amazing. It's almost like it shocks me to 858 00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:01,960 Speaker 1: hear the songs because i' songs in a sense become 859 00:50:02,080 --> 00:50:06,600 Speaker 1: poison and that they will try to destroy you. So 860 00:50:07,840 --> 00:50:11,239 Speaker 1: and what I mean by that is is what they 861 00:50:11,280 --> 00:50:13,640 Speaker 1: do is they try to keep you in the past, 862 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:16,520 Speaker 1: and they try to prevent you from going on to 863 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:20,040 Speaker 1: the next thing. And as a writer, we have to 864 00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:24,239 Speaker 1: be all about the next, the next thing. You know, 865 00:50:24,280 --> 00:50:26,200 Speaker 1: the best song, it's the best song I've written, it's 866 00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:30,080 Speaker 1: the next one. So you come to Nashville and eight 867 00:50:30,200 --> 00:50:33,160 Speaker 1: you move away. A few years later, you move back 868 00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:38,840 Speaker 1: in two thousand nine or so, you win the triple. 869 00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:40,719 Speaker 1: You have a triple play three number ones in the 870 00:50:40,760 --> 00:50:44,920 Speaker 1: same year. That's like movie type stuff. Well, you know 871 00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:48,719 Speaker 1: it should give everybody that's you know that's still I mean, 872 00:50:48,719 --> 00:50:52,080 Speaker 1: we're all aspiring, but someone that's you know that hadn't 873 00:50:52,160 --> 00:50:54,279 Speaker 1: quite figured it out yet. I mean, I didn't get 874 00:50:54,320 --> 00:50:58,840 Speaker 1: my first country song recorded tilst forty one. And you know, 875 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:01,399 Speaker 1: if you love it, you just you just stay with it, 876 00:51:01,640 --> 00:51:05,319 Speaker 1: and it's it's a gift and you know, you just 877 00:51:05,360 --> 00:51:08,560 Speaker 1: try to enjoy the god given gift of creativity and 878 00:51:09,320 --> 00:51:11,960 Speaker 1: be about it, share your music with anybody and everybody 879 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:16,800 Speaker 1: that will listen. And I'm just looking at some notes 880 00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:22,359 Speaker 1: here even it's just wild that you've been relevant so long, 881 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:24,920 Speaker 1: from calling Ray to Brett Elder. It's something I'm good 882 00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:27,479 Speaker 1: at and with I say relevant, Like on the progressive side, 883 00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:31,680 Speaker 1: you've been progressive for so long, Like that's quite the 884 00:51:31,800 --> 00:51:34,640 Speaker 1: span of time to be progressive, because progression always eventually 885 00:51:34,640 --> 00:51:38,560 Speaker 1: it's caught. Well, I do think about that, you know, 886 00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:40,799 Speaker 1: I think one of the keys to you know, I mean, 887 00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:43,600 Speaker 1: of course I'm I'm now. You know, it used to 888 00:51:43,600 --> 00:51:45,560 Speaker 1: be I was like the father in the room, and 889 00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:48,239 Speaker 1: now I'm the grandfather in the room. So that I 890 00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:50,359 Speaker 1: think one of the ways to do that is is 891 00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:54,239 Speaker 1: just to embrace that. But you know, it's continuing to 892 00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:57,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I collaborate with a lot of very young people, 893 00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:01,520 Speaker 1: you know, people that are like, you know, like you know, 894 00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:03,680 Speaker 1: I asked, I'll, you know, come up like how old 895 00:52:03,680 --> 00:52:07,400 Speaker 1: are your like, how how old are your parents? Forty five? 896 00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:11,080 Speaker 1: You know, I was like, so you just you have 897 00:52:11,160 --> 00:52:15,200 Speaker 1: to keep working younger, writing younger, and you know, I mean, 898 00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:19,000 Speaker 1: I'm I'm trying to write the perfect song. I mean, 899 00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:23,239 Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm just I'm driven to, you know, try 900 00:52:23,280 --> 00:52:25,600 Speaker 1: to get better. Like that Brett Elder song. It's nuts. 901 00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:30,360 Speaker 1: If you talk about rhythm, rhythm, I mean, that's a 902 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:32,520 Speaker 1: perfect case of what I'm talking about. But I mean 903 00:52:32,600 --> 00:52:36,280 Speaker 1: that's again I was. I had tortured Brett for about 904 00:52:36,320 --> 00:52:38,680 Speaker 1: three hours trying to write, like we'd written a song 905 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:40,759 Speaker 1: that we both love called one Mississippi that was on 906 00:52:40,840 --> 00:52:43,080 Speaker 1: his first album. Loved that song, by the way, and 907 00:52:43,160 --> 00:52:45,200 Speaker 1: we were trying to write that part two and just 908 00:52:45,239 --> 00:52:49,000 Speaker 1: couldn't do it. And so Brett said finally was like, hey, 909 00:52:49,280 --> 00:52:51,719 Speaker 1: what if we just and he just started banging out 910 00:52:51,840 --> 00:52:55,319 Speaker 1: some rhythm and I just got my notebook and I 911 00:52:55,400 --> 00:52:58,839 Speaker 1: just started jotting stuff down a voice, me moving him 912 00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:02,000 Speaker 1: doing it, and you know, probably within an hour we 913 00:53:02,080 --> 00:53:04,360 Speaker 1: kind of had it and just thought, well, at least 914 00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:09,000 Speaker 1: that was like a cathartic experience. It was a cleanse 915 00:53:09,280 --> 00:53:12,799 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I mean, but that's I was 916 00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:16,040 Speaker 1: just I was Brett Eldridge's lightning in a bottle and 917 00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:19,240 Speaker 1: I was just trying to capture it. He's he's magic. 918 00:53:20,200 --> 00:53:28,920 Speaker 1: This is Gwyneth patro song coming Home Again. That's a 919 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:33,880 Speaker 1: that's a veer. Yeah, right, she's playing a singer. Yes, 920 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:38,120 Speaker 1: she can sing. Yes, Yeah, it was that was yeah, 921 00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:40,680 Speaker 1: I mean it was that was Was it written for 922 00:53:40,840 --> 00:53:43,799 Speaker 1: this Yes? No. So you know, Sony kind of had 923 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:47,120 Speaker 1: an inside track when This Country Strong was being made, 924 00:53:47,760 --> 00:53:51,160 Speaker 1: and so everybody in town, you know, started writing songs 925 00:53:51,200 --> 00:53:52,920 Speaker 1: for it. But you literally got a script and to 926 00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:56,160 Speaker 1: be like, I love writing songs for movies, So you 927 00:53:56,280 --> 00:53:58,399 Speaker 1: write a script. I mean in the script is like, 928 00:53:59,160 --> 00:54:02,160 Speaker 1: you know, describe the scene and you know, song needed here, 929 00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:06,239 Speaker 1: and so I got with you know, Hillary Lindsay and 930 00:54:06,239 --> 00:54:08,719 Speaker 1: Troy Vergis and Bob the Bureau and we you know, 931 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:12,000 Speaker 1: we wrote that together. But yeah, we were writing that 932 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:16,520 Speaker 1: for the movie. And honestly, Hillary Lindsay is like, we 933 00:54:16,600 --> 00:54:18,640 Speaker 1: ever have you ever heard her sing? Oh? Yeah, we 934 00:54:18,680 --> 00:54:20,440 Speaker 1: play a lot of it. I mean, so she's just 935 00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:23,440 Speaker 1: so she was singing, and it was just we were 936 00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:27,200 Speaker 1: just all transported to another realm. But yeah, that that 937 00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:30,719 Speaker 1: was we That was Ken. Weird to see your song 938 00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:33,319 Speaker 1: in the movie. It is. Yeah, of course it wasn't 939 00:54:33,360 --> 00:54:36,480 Speaker 1: really in the movie that long, but you know, it's 940 00:54:36,480 --> 00:54:39,600 Speaker 1: not Chicago, but even for a second. Yeah, yeah, but 941 00:54:39,719 --> 00:54:42,760 Speaker 1: that was we got to go to the Golden Globes 942 00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:46,080 Speaker 1: and the Oscar So that was that was that was crazy. 943 00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:50,759 Speaker 1: What impresses your your family, your kids now, because you've 944 00:54:50,760 --> 00:54:53,719 Speaker 1: done a lot, like what oppresses you know? I mean, 945 00:54:54,880 --> 00:54:57,400 Speaker 1: I think they've been around it so long. Now. I 946 00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:00,239 Speaker 1: do have a twenty six year old daughter and she's 947 00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:03,840 Speaker 1: writing songs with my encouragement, and so you know, we 948 00:55:03,920 --> 00:55:07,560 Speaker 1: kind of we talk shop and um, I mean I'm 949 00:55:07,680 --> 00:55:11,440 Speaker 1: encouraging her and she's encouraging me. I mean, my wife 950 00:55:11,560 --> 00:55:14,520 Speaker 1: is honestly read. She's co written every song I've ever ridden, 951 00:55:14,600 --> 00:55:16,440 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, I've made her listen to almost 952 00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:20,799 Speaker 1: every song, and she's great. She is not impressed with me, 953 00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:23,759 Speaker 1: she's not impressed in music, but she she's got a 954 00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:27,240 Speaker 1: great year. So occasionally, you know, I mean, she'll she'll often, 955 00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:30,759 Speaker 1: you know, have a suggestion here there, and I'll begrudgingly 956 00:55:30,800 --> 00:55:33,480 Speaker 1: have to have to follow it. I want to hear 957 00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:35,319 Speaker 1: this demo one more time at the house to build me. 958 00:55:35,520 --> 00:55:39,960 Speaker 1: It's so good. You had to be like this could 959 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:41,560 Speaker 1: be a thing when you cut this yet, like this 960 00:55:41,680 --> 00:55:45,160 Speaker 1: could be the song. Well, Honestly, we think that every 961 00:55:45,200 --> 00:55:47,680 Speaker 1: song we write, but even you sing it like this here, 962 00:55:47,719 --> 00:55:50,759 Speaker 1: even with my vocal, every song were right, and there's 963 00:55:50,800 --> 00:55:53,960 Speaker 1: a point in the process where you think this is 964 00:55:54,000 --> 00:55:56,680 Speaker 1: the best songs I've written, only to be you know, 965 00:55:57,200 --> 00:56:00,120 Speaker 1: disappointed about thirty minutes later. But I think you have 966 00:56:00,200 --> 00:56:02,560 Speaker 1: to Jimmy what I have to scret song where it 967 00:56:02,600 --> 00:56:07,160 Speaker 1: talks about suspending disbelief, you have to suspend the disbelief 968 00:56:07,640 --> 00:56:09,640 Speaker 1: while you're writing to be able to write it, and 969 00:56:09,640 --> 00:56:12,000 Speaker 1: you have to kind of think, God, this is you 970 00:56:12,040 --> 00:56:14,560 Speaker 1: just get caught up in the magic and mystery of 971 00:56:14,600 --> 00:56:17,240 Speaker 1: collaboration when you finish that. Because I have a problem 972 00:56:17,239 --> 00:56:20,200 Speaker 1: with when I write, like a book or whatever I'm 973 00:56:20,200 --> 00:56:23,400 Speaker 1: doing creatively, I hate it for a while. Yeah, do 974 00:56:23,520 --> 00:56:25,680 Speaker 1: you ever reach that point where you've been inside of 975 00:56:25,719 --> 00:56:28,080 Speaker 1: it so much that you just don't even know? Like 976 00:56:28,280 --> 00:56:30,560 Speaker 1: where was I? What was I don't even understand what 977 00:56:30,600 --> 00:56:33,120 Speaker 1: I'm trying to do here? Yeah, I mean I feel 978 00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:37,200 Speaker 1: like that constantly. But again, I think the thing that 979 00:56:37,239 --> 00:56:40,160 Speaker 1: we have to tell ourselves is, look, that's somebody else's 980 00:56:40,239 --> 00:56:45,239 Speaker 1: responsibility to make those value judgments. You're that's not your job. 981 00:56:45,320 --> 00:56:49,040 Speaker 1: You're that's the job of the publisher, of of somebody else. 982 00:56:49,120 --> 00:56:51,200 Speaker 1: I think when we get too much in the headset 983 00:56:51,239 --> 00:56:54,480 Speaker 1: of a critic or a somebody on the business end 984 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:58,839 Speaker 1: of it, it's somehow thwarts the creative process. So, you know, 985 00:56:58,920 --> 00:57:03,040 Speaker 1: it's like the critic in our head is you know, 986 00:57:03,120 --> 00:57:05,520 Speaker 1: that's the arch enemy that we have to We just 987 00:57:05,560 --> 00:57:09,520 Speaker 1: have to constantly try to silence the critic who's trying 988 00:57:09,520 --> 00:57:12,080 Speaker 1: to get you not the right or to be too critical, 989 00:57:12,320 --> 00:57:15,560 Speaker 1: or you know, just to be inside your head instead 990 00:57:15,560 --> 00:57:18,520 Speaker 1: of you know, being on the paper, being present. It's 991 00:57:18,520 --> 00:57:22,560 Speaker 1: a it takes great mental discipline to do this, don't 992 00:57:22,560 --> 00:57:27,280 Speaker 1: you think I don't have it, like and again, all right, 993 00:57:27,360 --> 00:57:29,400 Speaker 1: in a lot of different ways, you know, constent up 994 00:57:29,400 --> 00:57:33,360 Speaker 1: comedy books, you know. But my discipline is just continuing 995 00:57:33,400 --> 00:57:35,200 Speaker 1: to do it. But there's nothing that I do and 996 00:57:35,240 --> 00:57:37,560 Speaker 1: I come away from it going that was good. Ever, 997 00:57:37,640 --> 00:57:39,120 Speaker 1: because I get inside of it and I'm like, this 998 00:57:39,200 --> 00:57:41,000 Speaker 1: is not funny anymore, this is not good anymore, This 999 00:57:41,040 --> 00:57:42,640 Speaker 1: is not compelling, and I just want to run away 1000 00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:45,560 Speaker 1: from it. Every time I want to run away. But well, 1001 00:57:45,600 --> 00:57:47,439 Speaker 1: I know, I mean I feel like that too. I am, 1002 00:57:47,600 --> 00:57:51,880 Speaker 1: so I get so dissatisfied. I just you know you could. 1003 00:57:51,920 --> 00:57:54,520 Speaker 1: It's it's just it's up and down. The last couple 1004 00:57:54,520 --> 00:57:56,560 Speaker 1: of weeks, all I can think about is all the 1005 00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:02,320 Speaker 1: time I've wasted and all the all the opportunities I missed. 1006 00:58:02,400 --> 00:58:07,760 Speaker 1: I really am, I've just been. And then I started 1007 00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:11,560 Speaker 1: singing the scoreboard clocks shows up again. I'm like, wow, 1008 00:58:12,320 --> 00:58:16,600 Speaker 1: am I am? I take am? I am? I using 1009 00:58:16,640 --> 00:58:19,920 Speaker 1: the time that I have, you know, to its greatest 1010 00:58:20,840 --> 00:58:25,920 Speaker 1: asset and you know that those are That's okay to 1011 00:58:26,000 --> 00:58:27,920 Speaker 1: do that for a while, but you've gotta get rescued 1012 00:58:27,960 --> 00:58:31,320 Speaker 1: from that otherwise you just again that's start. When I 1013 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:33,840 Speaker 1: do that, I'm like, all right, I'm worrying about the 1014 00:58:34,240 --> 00:58:39,080 Speaker 1: the end result, which is is Tim mcgrawl or Blake Shelter, 1015 00:58:39,200 --> 00:58:42,080 Speaker 1: Is anybody going to care about this? And then when 1016 00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:45,160 Speaker 1: when when you get there, then you're you're kind of sunk. 1017 00:58:45,240 --> 00:58:47,600 Speaker 1: Get to quickly get off that and be like, oh 1018 00:58:47,680 --> 00:58:50,240 Speaker 1: wait a minute, that doesn't matter. What matters is the 1019 00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:53,200 Speaker 1: next song I gotta write. So how much do I 1020 00:58:53,200 --> 00:58:54,840 Speaker 1: owe you for this? Our class? I just took, like 1021 00:58:55,000 --> 00:58:56,800 Speaker 1: these kids coming up, this has been like therapy. I 1022 00:58:56,840 --> 00:58:59,200 Speaker 1: should pay you about four just to listen to it. 1023 00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:03,080 Speaker 1: Probably in the well. I've enjoyed it has been. This 1024 00:59:03,160 --> 00:59:05,200 Speaker 1: has been a fun hour for me. I appreciate you 1025 00:59:05,200 --> 00:59:10,080 Speaker 1: coming by. Can people take your class? Get there? Leg well? 1026 00:59:10,160 --> 00:59:13,200 Speaker 1: I honestly, I got so busy I don't have time. 1027 00:59:13,240 --> 00:59:17,600 Speaker 1: I didn't I've had to temporarily halt teaching at Belmont. 1028 00:59:17,720 --> 00:59:19,920 Speaker 1: But I mean, I'm very involved with the n s 1029 00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:23,640 Speaker 1: a I, which is a great organization. And uh, I 1030 00:59:23,920 --> 00:59:27,680 Speaker 1: I love talking is I'm not really teaching. I'm I'm 1031 00:59:27,800 --> 00:59:31,000 Speaker 1: co learning with somebody. So it's like I love talking 1032 00:59:31,040 --> 00:59:34,640 Speaker 1: about it, I love working through it. Um, we really, 1033 00:59:34,720 --> 00:59:37,800 Speaker 1: you know, creative people, we really we need community, We 1034 00:59:37,840 --> 00:59:41,680 Speaker 1: need each other, We need people to remind us of, 1035 00:59:41,960 --> 00:59:45,360 Speaker 1: you know, of of all that we've got and um, 1036 00:59:45,400 --> 00:59:46,960 Speaker 1: you know, all that we're doing and all that we're 1037 00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:51,040 Speaker 1: doing well, you know, because I think the default, the 1038 00:59:51,200 --> 00:59:54,000 Speaker 1: normal default position in my mind is just to think 1039 00:59:54,040 --> 00:59:57,040 Speaker 1: of all that I haven't done well and the you know, 1040 00:59:57,080 --> 01:00:00,320 Speaker 1: all the time that I've wasted. But U it's been 1041 01:00:00,400 --> 01:00:03,680 Speaker 1: very encouraging for me today. But I'm telling you, I mean, 1042 01:00:04,400 --> 01:00:06,960 Speaker 1: you may not see it like that, but you're you're 1043 01:00:07,560 --> 01:00:11,600 Speaker 1: you're incredibly creative and you're it's not contrived and it's 1044 01:00:11,720 --> 01:00:16,040 Speaker 1: fluid and it's fun, and it's it's transparent. It takes 1045 01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:18,320 Speaker 1: you know, and you you do risk a lot, but 1046 01:00:18,480 --> 01:00:22,400 Speaker 1: I mean that's that's part of that's part of what 1047 01:00:22,440 --> 01:00:25,640 Speaker 1: we love about what you do is that it's it's 1048 01:00:25,680 --> 01:00:30,600 Speaker 1: somehow you know, when you're when you're willing to risk transparency, 1049 01:00:30,680 --> 01:00:34,120 Speaker 1: it allows other people to kind of overlay their life 1050 01:00:34,120 --> 01:00:37,720 Speaker 1: onto onto what you're doing and kind of live vicariously 1051 01:00:37,760 --> 01:00:41,440 Speaker 1: through it. So that's all we're trying to do is 1052 01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:45,600 Speaker 1: just continue to you know, kind of create art that 1053 01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:49,440 Speaker 1: other people can can. You know, when we see the 1054 01:00:49,440 --> 01:00:52,800 Speaker 1: Mona Lisa, we're like, there's something about her smile that 1055 01:00:53,320 --> 01:00:57,000 Speaker 1: allows us to overlay our life on that, or Harry 1056 01:00:57,040 --> 01:01:00,760 Speaker 1: Potter or you know, to kill a mock bird or 1057 01:01:01,680 --> 01:01:03,680 Speaker 1: you know, it's like that's what art. That's what I think. 1058 01:01:03,680 --> 01:01:06,280 Speaker 1: That's why God gave us art is it allows us 1059 01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:11,440 Speaker 1: to um, you know, find out something about ourselves, you know. 1060 01:01:12,560 --> 01:01:14,480 Speaker 1: But the key to it has got to be transparent 1061 01:01:14,560 --> 01:01:17,360 Speaker 1: and vulnerable. And that's at I'm not easy to do. 1062 01:01:17,920 --> 01:01:22,320 Speaker 1: I've enjoyed the hour. I've really enjoyed the hour. Oh man, 1063 01:01:23,560 --> 01:01:26,880 Speaker 1: I feel like I just went back to school. Episode 1064 01:01:27,000 --> 01:01:32,200 Speaker 1: seventy one with Tom Douglas and I'm gonna go revalue. 1065 01:01:32,200 --> 01:01:35,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna look a the scoreboard in my bedroom, reevaluate 1066 01:01:35,440 --> 01:01:38,160 Speaker 1: a LoVa and do it. And thanks Tomas, I'll buy 1067 01:01:38,320 --> 01:01:42,000 Speaker 1: enjoying it. I'll see you next time. Thank you everybody,