The Reason Behind The Name

The Reason Behind The Name

So today on my way to work I had what would be described as a trip down memory lane. I was listening to Tim McGraw's "Southern Voice" album and I had it on "shuffle". It was interesting to me that what followed were the songs that made me fall in love with the album to begin with. If you haven't heard the album, I would highly suggest that you check it out. It's a super easy album to listen to from start to finish. Now I know that this is already sounding like another blog entry where all I'm going to do is praise Tim McGraw, but it's not going to be that way. This post is really going to be me explaining to you what made me love that album and what it was I related to that made the album so special to me. So just hang in there with me and we will go on a walk down memory lane for me, and for you, it will be an explanation as to why my blog, my outlet, is called "Southern Voice". 

The first song that came on was "Ghost Town Train". The reason I loved this song is multi leveled. When this album first came out, I was working really hard to win over the girl of my dreams. (I'm not going to tell you how that worked out just yet.) We were best friends all through high school and things were starting to get a little intense for us because she was going through a major life change and I was getting ready to leave half way across the country for two years. In high school we never dated, but everyone told at least me that we should. It got to a point where people would come up and ask me if it was ok for them to ask her out. Now, the reason this is important is because when this album came out, I felt that it was the closest I had ever gotten to winning this girl over. I had been "silently" admiring her all through high school and I don't know that she really ever knew until our junior or senior year. We had been graduated from high school for about a year by the time this album came out and we had started the conversation about how I felt about her. The sad thing is that there was still no chance for me at that time. So when "Ghost Town Train" came on for the very first time, I was thinking about how this girl who I had been "chasing" for so long, I thought was right within my reach, but just like that, she was gone. Nothing super deep or anything, but this song took on a much deeper meaning later on in our story because of details that will be divulged later. 

The second song that came on was "I Love You, Goodbye". When I buy a CD...yes I still buy CD's, I look at the back and I look at the titles of each song and I start to formulate my own ideas about what I think each song is going to be about. This is one of those songs where I couldn't have been more wrong. I don't really even remember what I originally thought the song was going to be about, but I remember being really embarrassed for how off my assumption was. This song is a story, and a great one at that. It is about a boy who's parents are divorced and he leaves home, where he lives with his mom because he needed to get away from the troubled home that was surrounded by the pain of divorced parents. The first verse talks about the boy being caught between a fight between his angry mom and drunk father and the boy having to get his dad home and put to bed finishing the verse with the words "Dad, I love you, goodbye.", The second verse describes how he goes back home to his moms long enough to gather his things and leave a note for her in her bed telling her that he was leaving and saying that if he were to stay "something sacred's gonna die."...And the end of the note is also the end of the verse where all he says is "Mom, I love you, Goodbye."...The third verse describes the boy getting a phone call from his sister letting him know that "his mother was at the doorstep of heaven's pure, white light." Then the verse talks about his dad showing up at the service and they have an exchange at the end of the service and the father is now sober and asking his son for forgiveness, with the verse ending "son, I love you, goodbye." The end of the song, you hear the boy, now a man, landing in Texas and makes a phone call to his dad to see if he can visit but he got no answer. The end of the song, the last words, "Your grandson has your eyes. He couldn't say anything else, cause he started to cry, and he choked out 'Dad, I love you....Goodbye." This song holds a very special place in my heart because I had a parent who spent the first 12 years of my life in jail/prison and another parent who spent most of my life losing a battle with drugs. Now, I have little to no relationship with either of them and I am building my own life.....Still not telling you about the girl yet....

The next song was one that to most might not have "struck a chord", but I loved the message. The song is called "If I Died Today"....It's Tim asking if he died today, who would tie up his loose ends? Would he be missed? Who would show up at the service? Who would miss him? Would he even be missed? It's a great song. I love the chord progression and the way the lyrics just roll with the chords. It's got an awesome acoustic feel. Now with that, I have to say, I think everyone goes through a stage in life where we ask ourselves those same questions. We are all human. We all ponder death and these questions I think are all normal, and for me, they're motivation. I think sadly sometimes people make decisions that cause them to lose important relationships. I will openly admit to anyone who asks that I have burned a few bridges...But that doesn't mean I have to burn anymore. That doesn't mean that I can't repair the ones I've burned, or that I can't at least try to. I love my life. I love the outlook I have on my future, and I love the people I've managed to keep in my life, but I would be lying to you if I told you I never wondered about how life would go on without me. I don't wonder those things because I'm depressed or upset, I wonder those things because I wonder sometimes if I am living a life that others would miss sharing with me. I wonder if I have done anything worth missing. That song has caught me at the best times to remind me that with every step I take, I want to be making decisions and taking steps that only better my future, not only mine, but my family's future. 

That album came out back in 2010. Since then, I have served a mission for my church, I have fallen away from that church, made choices that have eventually now, found me in love with that beautiful girl I chased around through high school and we have a little boy who she's allowed me to share with her and I loo at what we have and I see a beautiful family. I see a beautiful future and a beautiful life. Here we are in 2015 and that's ten years from when I met that girl. We have been through so much together and I know that there is so much more to come. We will be married before the end of the year and I can say that "if I died today" I would be missed. I know I would be. I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful life. I hope everyone is able to find someone they love as much as I love my fiance. She truly is my better half and my soul mate. If you have read this far, you now know what will fuel every post I make from here on out. This is my creative outlet. I will be sharing mostly music related things, but I hope whatever finds it's way here, you will read, and you will enjoy, Share your opinions with me. Ask me questions about music if you're looking for an opinion. Music is a universal langue. I leaned that in high school. It was in a choir class that I met the woman I will be marrying soon and it is music that helps me express myself. So read this blog knowing that I am simply expressing opinions, person experience, and sometimes just random information. Now, I'm gonna go listen to some Hank Jr....Till next time my friends.