Many country songs foster hometown pride. For some reason, the idea of roots and heritage has become a mainstay in the genre. Many country fans grew up listening to songs in this vein and loved them, but they can only truly be understood after growing up and moving out. The three country songs below are nostalgia fodder. They put moving away into perspective, tugging on the heartstrings of those far from home.
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“Half of My Hometown” (Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney)
Kelsea Ballerini wrote a love letter to her hometown, Knoxville, with “Half of My Hometown.” This duet with Kenny Chesney will resonate with many listeners from small towns, even if it isn’t in Tennessee.
Half of my hometown’s still hangin’ around / Still talkin’ about that one touchdown / They’re still wearin’ red and black / “Go Bobcats,” she sings in the first half of the chorus to this country song, representing the crop of people who stay put. The other half / Of my hometown, they all got out / Some went north, some went south, she sings in the latter half, representing the people like her who decided to leave home in search of something their own. Whatever group a listener finds themselves in, they can find themselves in this Ballerini staple.
“The House That Built Me” (Miranda Lambert)
Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” is a country song that not everyone can listen to without breaking down. Though a house is just a physical thing, it represents so much more to us. Most of us have houses we’ve left behind. This song is an ode to losing that piece of ourselves.
I know they say you can’t go home again / I just had to come back one last time, Lambert sings in the opening line. Those who have moved away from their hometowns will know what it feels like to drive back to a childhood home. Most of us would never go up and knock on the door for a trip down memory lane, but we can pretend to do so while listening to this Lambert hit.
“Thank God for Hometowns” (Carrie Underwood)
Inevitably, when we leave our hometowns, the world becomes much larger, and fostering relationships becomes more complicated. There’s no more “Oh, I’ve known them forever!” Most people are strangers. But, luckily, hometowns are there to remind us of the indelible connections that can’t be severed by time or space. That’s the onus behind Carrie Underwood’s “Thank God for Hometowns.”
Thank God for hometowns / And all the love that makes you go round / Thank God for the country lines that welcome you back in / When you were dying to get out, she sings in this tear-jerking song about connections that last a lifetime.
(Photo by Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)
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