3 Country Songs That Feel Like Watching Your Hometown in the Rearview Mirror

Of all the genres, country music is most likely to fete hometowns. This genre has a firm foothold in nostalgia and appreciates the simpler sides of life. The three country songs below feel like watching your hometown disappear into the rearview, whether a somber picture or a welcomed one.

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“White Horse” — Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift leaves an old love behind in “White Horse.” She recognizes that she’s outgrown her idealist point of view and naivety. The picture of love she once had is gone completely. “I’m not a princess, this ain’t a fairy tale / I’m not the one you’ll sweep off her feet / Lead her up the stairwell,” Swift sings as she leaves her small town behind.

Though this country song is about leaving a bad relationship, its setting also means leaving her hometown. “This is a big world, that was a small town / There in my rear view mirror disappearing now,” she sings. Though it’s a bit bittersweet, Swift’s exodus sees her on to bigger and brighter things.

“Back Where I Come From” — Kenny Chesney

“Back where I come from / Where I’ll be when it’s said and done / And I’m proud as anyone / That’s where I come from,” Kenny Chesney sings in “Back Where I Come From.” This is a familiar sentiment in much of country music. Chesney reps his small town with pride, which in turn allows the listener to do the same.

Chesney lists all the magical, but simple things about where he comes from: “You can lie on a riverbank / Or paint your name on a water tank / Or miscount all the beers you drank.” Country listeners love romanticizing small towns, and Chesney gives them the perfect outlet to do so with this track.

“Home” — Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton sings about missing familiar surroundings while out on the road in “Home.” No matter where his career takes him, Shelton can’t help but feel that tinge of nostalgia that comes from his hometown.

“May be surrounded by a million people I, still feel all alone / I want to go home,” he sings. Though we may not all be touring musicians, we all know what it feels like to miss the comfort of home. Despite the song’s specificity, it has universal applications.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)