Behind the Meaning of “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts’ “My Wish” has been integrated into society in a way that far transcends the country fandom. It has been used for countless weddings and other celebratory events to help illustrate the love between a parent and a child. As it turns out, the songwriters behind this track were influenced by a real-life father/daughter duo. Uncover the meaning behind “My Wish,” below.

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Behind the Meaning of “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow
And each road leads you where you want to go
And if you’re faced with a choice, and you have to choose

I hope you choose the one that means the most to you
And if one door opens to another door closed
I hope you keep on walkin’ ’till you find the window
If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile

“My Wish” was penned by Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson. According to Steele, he penned several songs for his kids, but couldn’t seem to find something to write for his youngest daughter.

“I have four kids,” songwriter Jeffrey Steele once said. “In the past, I had written a song for both of my older daughters, Jessie and Casey. They always pipe up different thoughts when I write. My youngest daughter, Justine, was in the room that day and said, ‘Yeah, he never has written a song for me! He’s got his favorite kids!’”

One day, Robson gave Steele a selection of music, and suddenly, everything came into focus for him. The opening lines of the song fell out of his mouth, laying the ground work for this soon-to-be-hit.

“I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,” he continued. “It just had a feel to it. I thought, ‘Wow! This is about somebody who is going somewhere with their life.’ Then it dawned on me … this is Justine’s song! This is it!”


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The song transcended Steele’s story. It was adopted quickly by listeners, who applied this song to their own lives.

“Now, I’m getting all these letters from parents saying various things,” Steele added. “It’s the first dance song at weddings and all this stuff. It turned into this huge thing. Honesty, that’s where it fell out of. Remember when Babe Ruth said he was going to hit a home run for that kid in the hospital, and he did? It’s kind of like that. The music was beautiful, and it inspired the words. Of course, now both of my other daughters are mad because this song has been the most successful song!”

Revisit this Rascal Flatts hit, below.

But more than anything, more than anything
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold
And while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget
All the ones who love you, in the place you left
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret
And you help somebody every chance you

(Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)