Eric Church has always been my go-to favorite artist of all time. The artist that immediately jumps into your head when someone asks you what kind of music you like. The artist that you brag about to your friends as if that artist can hear you, approving your flattery. You notice yourself taking pride in knowing their deep-cut tracks average listeners will never trek.
I'm sure we can all relate to that instinctive feeling for a few artists, and if you can't, then you really have got to start exploring the big wide world of music. That's the beautiful thing about it: there really is something for everyone.
As this pandemic marches on, the lack of concerts has really taken a toll on me. Although I may not have even made it to a single concert in these past few months regardless, the idea of talented musicians not taking the stage to spread the joy that is their voice haunts me. Considering there is no expiration date of the virus that shall not be named, it's hard to say when that musical energy will be experienced again.
Because it really is all in the energy. Music has a way of uniting people that so few things can do. All we have to do is resonate with one lyric, feel something shake in our core from one ballad, bop our heads to one beat, and boom. An instant connection is secured to our best friend, our worst enemy, our neighbor, and a stranger across the globe.
And with the really good ones, a sense of nostalgia washes upon us. This lyric either reminds us who we are, who we once were, or who we one day wish we could be.
But enough of my own interpretation; let's get to the King of Country Music himself. Although I stand in country music's corner, I respect appreciation for all genres. Being a North Carolina native himself, Eric's narrative naturally favors country music. However, country naysayers, hold your horses, as this video is more about connections than anything.
Before getting into Eric's music and my top eleven favorite tracks, I had to acknowledge his character. As wonderful as their music is, I don't let my favorite artists be lost underneath it. Understanding who a singer amidst all the Hollywood publicity is just as important as the quality of their songs themselves; if I can't feel a connection to the person behind the lyrics, how will I rightfully appreciate their songs?
Eric has such a way of personifying his music, making my quest to find a country music phenomenon's soul not too daunting. As the man of the hour says, "The most important thing for me as an artist is having an identity."
Now, let's take a trip down the career path of Eric Church as I share my top eleven tracks. A quick disclaimer: this list does not include every song Eric has written, nor many of his radio hits such as Record Year or Some Of It. This does not mean I do not consider those lyrical masterpieces; there is simply an appeal to the lesser-known.
11. DRINK IN MY HAND
Album: Cheif
Caroline's Line: "I'm about to tear a new one in this old town // Five, four, three, two, one, I'm a rocket man // All you got to do is put a drink in my hand"
Although I just rambled on about the value in the lesser-known, there is usually a reason for overwhelming public hype. I would be foolish not to include this 2011 smash-hit that seems to appeal to just every possible target audience who is down to catch a buzz. The simplicity of this tune takes minimal analyzing, making it a fan-favorite for city-concert-goers and country-couch-listeners alike.
10. KNIVES OF NEW ORLEANS
Album: Mr.Misunderstood
Caroline's Line: "Tonight a bleeding memory // Is tomorrow's guilty vein"
Ah, finally, some deep-cut action reaching this platform. Having family in New Orleans, this song immediately piqued my interest. Although the title was what lured me in, the cross-genre-ing is what kept me listening. I know what you're thinking: pop country? Come on, Caroline, you're better than this.
And I am, because Eric certainly doesn't enter the pop territory, which should instead be labeled no man's land. He brings country rock back to the radio, where it rightfully belongs. It was no surprise to me that Bob Seger, who happily sits on my top five artists of all time list, was such an inspiration to our country star. Eric even states that Bob Seger taught him how to capture a crowd and that he was always immensely inspired by the old-time rock and roll icon.
9. MIXED DRINKS ABOUT FEELINGS
Album: Mr.Misunderstood
Caroline's Line: "My head is spinning // My resolve is reeling // I can tell by the heavy in my heart // I'm going down soon"
This track highlights Eric's soft tones, harmonizing talents, and emotional barrier breaking down. The title Mixed Drinks About Feelings itself should be framed and hung up in a museum. It starts off with Eric in a vulnerable state before a beautiful female vocalist, Susan Tedeschi, floats in, adding a raw relational component we had yet to experience in Eric's prior releases.
Only being three minutes long, the song's emotional vulnerability is not absent for one second. Every listener can relate to the indecisive stage of a relationship, not knowing whether enough is enough, or if it's never enough.
8. MISTRESS NAMED MUSIC
Album: Mr.Misunderstood
Caroline's Line: "With a guitar full of freedom and a head full of lines // That nightlife full of demons has been a hell of a ride"
The Mr.Misunderstood album was apparently a knockout for me, and I believe it's because of two reasons. One, Eric was showing off his rock side, and two, he was delivering all sorts of messages that although I couldn't fully understand in my position being a teenage girl, I was intrigued beyond explanation.
Once again, the title is enough to sell me on this one. The idea that music and a "nightlife full of demons" are pulling this boy out of his ordinary routine is something we can all acknowledge in our own lives. Following our own version of crazy and potentially abandoning the traditional route to success is a task prescribed for the bold type. However, despite life's blueprints drawing out our futures, we all experience the power of those seemingly-adolescent dreams.
7. CAROLINA
Album: Carolina
Caroline's Line: "But I gotta play the star in some little town again tonight // Don't get me wrong, I love what I do // It's just another song about missing you"
It wouldn't be a tribute to Eric Church without an honorable mention from one of his early albums. Although I enjoy almost every track from young Eric's career, this one has always stood out in particular. A homage to his past has to be appreciated; it's basically in the contract to be a true fan.
Although these lyrics are not quite as complex as those above, the simplicity makes his love for the state that much more beautiful. Eric even writes all of his albums in a homemade studio in his North Carolina mountain lodge, hence us fans owe it all we gratitude we can give it for producing some stellar music.
Plus, the title is pretty much my name.
6. TALLADEGA
Album: The Outsiders
Caroline's Line: "Like a storm, time rolls on // you can't hit pause, that's just the deal // Most days in life don't stand out // But life's about those days that we all like"
We now enter my favorite microgenre: nostalgic country music. Any song that takes me back to a certain place, a specific time, or a single person, has a larger impact on my day that what I actually do that day. Yeah, yeah, appreciate the present, but to me, there's a whole lot of value in the best days of my past.
And because I don't think I could word it better myself, I'm going to quote the artist. When reflecting on what this song means to him, Eric states, "It's been neat to watch the song continue to grow and to watch people gravitate to it, share their stories and attach their life to it. That's what it's all about, getting fans to attach their life to the song." Although the Talledega race itself could not be less relatable to a Chicago suburbian like me, the idea of craving that once-perfect moment sure is.
5. MR.MISUNDERSTOOD
Album: Mr.Misunderstood
Caroline's Line: "Had an axe to grind, so off I went // Mad at the sun for coming up again // I lost religion, found my soul in the blues // Rubbed the velvet off my blue suede shoes"
This release is really all about delving into Eric's past while simultaneously enduring a musical rollercoaster. The song starts out slow, once again vulnerable, sharing the complexities of growing out of one pair of shoes and not fitting in another. The narrator discusses high-top shoes, old-time vinyl, Alabama Hannah, and overprotective southern fathers. As we travel on a journey to acceptance, we also change chords too many times to count.
Midway through the track, the tempo has picked up rapidly, and the solemn tone transforms into one of optimism, individualism, and a "screw you" to the bullies that once were. This is basically Eric's version of Taylor Swift's "Mean," with a whole lot more grit. In both cases, the artists describe their former bullies lined up to watch them on stage. The satisfaction is palpable.
4. LIKE A WRECKING BALL
Album: The Outsiders
Caroline's Line: "I, I been gone, I been gone too long singing my songs on the road // Another town, one more show and I'm coming home // Don't give a damn what these keys I hold // I'm gonna knock down that front door and // Find out what that house is made of"
Eric Church is able to knock another task off of his artist bucket list: creating a sensual country song that is not tacky. Although these have always existed in the past, all of today's country songs regarding intimacy seem to fall on one of two ends of the spectrum. They are either about tan legs swinging off the tailgate or fall in the microgenre of "boyfriend country" when collabing with Justin Bieber. Although I've fallen victim to enjoying both of those guilty pleasures, neither of them are very tasteful.
The narrator in "Like a Wrecking Ball," leads a life on the road and is longing for that sense of home. In this case, as with most in life, home is less about a place and more about the person. This ideology is perfectly illustrated with the metaphor of breaking down the physical house; it doesn't matter where this couple is, or if their house is shattered to pieces, as long as they are together.
3. GIVE ME BACK MY HOMETOWN
Album: The Outsiders
Caroline's Line: "All the colors of my youth // The red, the green, the hope, the truth // Are beatin' me black and blue 'cause you're in every scene" & "Every made memory every picture, every broken dream // yeah everything, everything, everything // Give me back my hometown"
There is a clear pattern in Eric's music, among other similar artists, and it's his ability to not only transport you into his own previous life but also make it comparable to your own. "Give Me Back My Hometown" is a unique kind of breakup song. It illustrates the same anger, frustration, and heartbreak found in any breakup song, but adds the layer of sacrifice. The narrator was able to sacrifice what may just be our most personal attribute: our past. All of those wonderful memories of his teenage years, from the football stadium to the Pizza Hut, feel entirely robbed by his ex.
Although not everyone listening may have had an ex take away the innate fondness of their childhood home, every listener can undoubtedly relate to the territorial behaviors this artist is demonstrating. Take my valuables, take my heart, but don't you dare take my most coveted memories.
2. LIKE JESUS DOES
Album: Cheif
Caroline's Line: "But she carries me when my sins make me heavy // She loves me like Jesus does" & "She knows the man I ain't, she forgives me when I can't // And the devil man, no, he don't stand a chance"
This track arguably reveals Eric's vulnerabilities and insecurities on an entirely new level. While admitting his greatest setbacks and flaws, he states that she loves me like Jesus does; in an unconditional, forgiving, and spiritual manner. It's the kind of love that is indescribably heavenly; the one we all pray exists despite all the hardships we face, the kind worth waiting for.
Although the compassionate message and dreamy ballad are two wonderful reasons to enjoy this song, my favorite aspect is the clever lyric references. Eric sings, "I'm a good ole boy drinking whiskey and rye on the levy" and "I'm a long-gone Waylon song on vinyl." Both of these act not only as references to his rock background, but also indications of his flawed character. Overall, the song tells us its okay to mess up, because like Jesus, someone is there to always love you.
1. SPRINGSTEEN
Album: Cheif
Caroline's Line: "Funny how a melody, sounds like a memory // Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night // Springsteen"
In this case, the best is for last. Not only does this song take the gold on my Eric Church list, but also on my "Forever & Always Greatest Of All Time Songs" list. Although this is by no means a deep-cut and is arguably his most popular song, Springsteen has changed my life on a far deeper level than just providing a fun summer sing-a-long.
Springsteen serves that sense of nostalgia I can't seem to get enough of on a silver platter with a yellow ribbon tied atop of it. The song pretty much takes every positive attribute I've listed of the previous tracks and combines them all. It does justice to his rock background by accrediting Bruce Springsteen, provides the vulnerable, emotional side of Eric we all love to hear, gives us insight into his adolescence while also transporting us into our own, and forces us to reflect on our own young love.
Springsteen highlights the power of music. It shows that one single chorus can take you back to a brighter day, releasing a tsunami of emotions upon you that you did not ask for but know you needed. Springsteen perfectly encapsulates why you can connect with your best friend, worst enemy, and a perfect stranger over just one song: we all want to feel something more than we admit it.
I propose that you, or rather beg you to, listen to the nine-minute live version of this song, even if you've seen it live yourself. Eric shares the story of his first amphitheater concert in which he had a melody connect itself with a memory that night. He then asks his audience to do the same as he sings a segment of Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, the song he was raised on that sparked it all. He then seamlessly transition back into the infamous "Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh"s of his number-one hit before finishing it all out with some major guitar chords. It all feels like a dream.
Eric Church really can do it all. From gut-wrenching ballads to beer-raising anthems, his music has a way of connecting fans to one another in unspeakable ways. He's shared how his musical icons have paved the way for his career, but I can confidently say he's paved the way for more than he can imagine. Eric's country-rock is saving the country music industry, as up-and-coming artists like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen share their love of the CMA award-winning icon.
So many of Eric's evergreen melodies are connected to so many of my everlasting melodies, and I couldn't be more thankful for the power of song.
Cheers to Church,
caroline hughes