The beauty of country music is its ability to sing about the simple things in life. These three country songs all came out in 2001 and are so nostalgic that they are worth listening to over and over again, even after so many years.
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“Where I Come From” by Alan Jackson
There may not be a more nostalgic song, of any year, than “Where I Come From” by Alan Jackson. Written by Jackson for his When Somebody Loves You record, the song celebrates the sweet memories of his rural upbringing.
“Where I Come From” says, “Where I come from, it’s cornbread and chicken / Where I come from, a lotta front porch pickin’ / Where I come from, tryin’ to make a livin’ / And workin’ hard to get to heaven / Where I come from.”
Jackson’s fans related to the song, making it a three-week No. 1 single for him.
“Don’t Happen Twice” by Kenny Chesney
Curtis Lance and Thom McHugh wrote “Don’t Happen Twice“, a song Kenny Chesney includes on his Greatest Hits album. “Don’t Happen Twice” is about the moments that become memories, moments that can never be repeated.
“Don’t Happen Twice” says, “We sang ‘Bobby McGee’ on the hood of my car / Made a wish on every star / In that clear September sky / One bottle of wine, two Dixie cups / At 3:00 a.m., I fell in love / For the first time in my life / And that’s something / That just don’t happen twice.”
“I’m Already There” by Lonestar
Lonestar’s own Richie McDonald wrote “I’m Already There” with Gary Baker, Frank J. Myers, and David Zippel. The song is about a man who is apart from his family due to his job. “I’m Already There” is based on McDonald’s own life, when he was on the road with his band and called home and spoke to his four-year-old son, Rhett.
“I remember that night clearly to this day, just hearing that little squeaky voice saying, ‘Daddy, when you comin’ home?’” McDonald recalls to Songfacts. “And when you’re gone for six weeks at that point, you just hang up the phone, and you cry. And you think, you know what, physically maybe I’m not there, but mentally I’m already there. I’ll never forget sitting in that hotel room in Southern California and just thinking, ‘I’m already there.’ There’s an idea. And that’s where it came from.”
Songfacts: I’m Already There | Lonestar
Lonestar lead singer Richie McDonald wrote this with Gary Baker and Frank Myers. The song is about being there in spirit when you can’t be physically present. It was inspired by McDonald’s time on the road while touring with Lonestar, who were red hot following the success of their 1999 Lonely Grill album and its hit single, “Amazed.” The title was something McDonald came up with after calling home and speaking with his 4-year-old son Rhett. The singer told us: “I remember that night clearly to this day, just hearing that little squeaky voice saying, ‘Daddy, when you comin’ home?’ And when you’re gone for 6 weeks at that point, you just hang up the phone and you cry and you think, you know what, physically maybe I’m not there, but mentally I’m already there. I’ll never forget sitting in that hotel room in Southern California and just thinking, ‘I’m already there.’ There’s an idea. And that’s where it came from. It was a way to help me through the separation at the time. Songwriting, for me, a lot of times it’s therapy. Just the chance to spill my guts out on a piece of paper or a computer or whatever it is and to put it to music.” (Here’s the full Richie McDonald interview.)
“I’m Already There” says, “I’m already there / Take a look around / I’m the sunshine in your hair / I’m the shadow on the ground / I’m the whisper in the wind / I’m your imaginary friend / And I know I’m in your prayers / Oh I’m already there.”
Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage
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