It's a given that you want to record songs people can relate to, but it goes deeper than that. You w...Show more »
It's a given that you want to record songs people can relate to, but it goes deeper than that. You want a song to touch them somehow. You want them to live with it and let it become a part of their lives. You want it to make them remember something -- their first kiss, their first boyfriend, their first breakup. But that's past tense. You also want it to have something they can relate to right now. I try real hard to make people feel things, whether it's a fun song, like 'How Forever Feels,' or a real intense song, like 'That's Why I'm Here' or a love song, like 'You Had Me From Hello.' You try to touch different emotions. If you don't do that, I think you miss the boat. Show less «
She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy: The record company called me while I was out on the road. They told me...Show more »
She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy: The record company called me while I was out on the road. They told me they found this awesome song. I went in to listen to it, and I just fell in love with it. I just laugh every time I hear it. It's just a fun song that paints a great picture. When I heard it I said, "I've got to have that song." And we just tried to go in and have the most fun with it in the studio as we possibly could. Show less «
I can't believe it. You're moving so fast -- and you can tell the fans are different somehow; but th...Show more »
I can't believe it. You're moving so fast -- and you can tell the fans are different somehow; but then you're back on the plane. It was so cool to see 12,000 people at the Mall of America, screaming like there was a show when it was really only an acoustic performance. But this? For a kid from Luttrell, Tennessee who thought playing The Turf (a dive bar on what was Nashville's seedy lower Broadway strip of honky tonks) was practically making it ... well, this is bigger than words. I mean, what do you say? I'm just trying to absorb it and enjoy it. Show less «
On what inspires him to write a song: My inspiration comes from life in general. I keep my ears open...Show more »
On what inspires him to write a song: My inspiration comes from life in general. I keep my ears open. I overhear conversations in restaurants and on the street. I watch a lot of movies and TV, and I love to read. There are so many things that can be taken and made into songs -- everything that has an emotion to it. I just look for things that people can hang on to. Show less «
'I Can't Go There' - That's the most brutally honest song I've ever written in my whole life. When y...Show more »
'I Can't Go There' - That's the most brutally honest song I've ever written in my whole life. When you're in love with somebody, you go places -- whether it's your favorite restaurant, a spot in the islands, or Wrigley Field. When that ends, it's impossible for you -- literally or in your heart or mind -- to go back there. If I've ever written a song that was 100% an open book about me and what I went through, 'I Can't Go There' is it. For that reason, it's probably one of my favorite songs on the record. Show less «
I think "How Forever Feels" was really just an infectious song from the very opening riff. I just th...Show more »
I think "How Forever Feels" was really just an infectious song from the very opening riff. I just think it's different. Also, I've never heard another love song that mentions Richard Petty. That song really opened up a brand new audience for me. My past two albums have gone gold (meaning sales of more than 500,000), but a lot of people think "How Forever Feels" is my first single. It's odd, because I've been out there for six years now. Show less «
God works in mysterious ways. I'm certainly glad I wasn't there - and I feel terrible for all the fa...Show more »
God works in mysterious ways. I'm certainly glad I wasn't there - and I feel terrible for all the families who have been affected by this. - He had been scheduled to film a music video near the World Trade Center on Tuesday (9/11). The shoot was canceled Show less «
Greatest Hits CD going double platinum: There's a part of you that thinks 'Aw, people will never buy...Show more »
Greatest Hits CD going double platinum: There's a part of you that thinks 'Aw, people will never buy this. They have all these songs.' But maybe they don't have all the Capricorn stuff (his first record label) or the early hits or the new songs. Or maybe they're like me and they just want everything in one place. For whatever reason, I'm pretty stoked up about hearing this! Show less «
(on growing up in Lutrell, Tennessee) It was a really great place to grow up. You couldn't help but ...Show more »
(on growing up in Lutrell, Tennessee) It was a really great place to grow up. You couldn't help but be consumed by country music. It's everywhere ... but I never dreamed of being a singer as a kid. Show less «
