5 Of My Favorite Tyler Childers Lyrics
and why I love them so much.
I’ve said it before on this blog, but I am a very lyrical person when it comes to music. I love a good melody, or a beautiful fiddle riff; but nothing stops me in my tracks like a good lyric.
Tyler Childers is one of the best lyrical writers out there today, and is one of the main figureheads of the new outlaw movement of non-radio superstars.
Here I’ll be sharing five of my favorite lines of his, in no particular order. These also aren’t necessarily my five favorites, because that would take too long to narrow down; if I could even narrow it down at all.
“Now the mountains all are blushin’
and they don’t know what to say,
‘cept a good long line of praises
for my lovely Lady May”
You could pick almost any line from “Lady May” to be on this list, but I chose these because of a personal experience. My car is one of the main places I listen to music, whether it’s while driving, or parked by the river. One autumn day I drove to the end of my gravel driveway, parked, and threw on “Lady May.” When this line was sang, I happened to look up at the mountains around me, and I saw all the trees were red with their fall colors — that’s when it hit me. In the fall, when the leaves turn red, “the mountains all are blushin’.” It was quite the “mind-blown” moment of realization.
“Well I used to ride a Mustang
and I’d run that thing on high hopes
’til they raised the price of dreams so high I couldn’t pay”
“Shake the Frost” is another song where you could take just about any line from it, and it’d fit right in on this list. These lines, are my personal favorites though. The use of wordplay here is magnificent, and it describes something so relatable. When you’re young it feels like the world is yours, and you can do anything you want, but when you get older, you start to feel much more limited. Everything becomes expensive, and dreams can start to die. It can feel like the world is no longer suited for dreamers.
“I know he’d’ve kill me in a minute
And he wouldn’t have left no trace
Hogs’ll eat about anything you give ‘em
And they don’t let nothin’ go to waste”
On a less serious note; here’s a lyric that is somewhat of a joke, but also kind of a scary fact. “Bus Route” is a fun, playful song about taking a liking to a girl who rides your bus, but her dad doesn’t like you. I love these lines because it’s just such a creative way to get this point across. It’s funny, and keeps the song lighthearted, while also being dark enough to show that the girls dad really didn’t like him.
“She sneaks menthols in the mornin’
While her family’s still a snorin’
And as she burns the Eggos
She looks back at her life”
“Peace Of Mind” is one of my favorite Tyler Childers songs, because of how unbelievably well it describes the depressive, mundane side that country living can have for some people. I live in a small town in the south, and I love it, but sometimes you overhear something, or see something, that gives you a glimpse into the less idyllic side of things. This song, so perfectly describes that simple unrest, and struggle. This lyric in particular, shows it off well. Just simple, little things, that absolutely depress you to the core.
“Will you pray for me
When the roots of the oak and my ribcage are braidin’
If I can think
Lord knows that I will fondly pray for you”
“Purgatory” was the song and performance that introduced me to Tyler Childers, and I have loved him ever since. This line is just so ethereal, and shows off Tyler Childers’ talent for describing common things, in special ways. I feel like I don’t need to say much more about why it’s so special. I mean; “When the roots of the oak and my ribcage are braidin’” if I had lyrical talent like that I’d never stop writing songs.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! If you’re a Childers fan, what are some of your favorites?
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