Jelly Roll is still likely riding high from his invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. The Nashville native was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience when his good friend, Craig Morgan, appeared via video to invite Jelly Roll to become an official member.
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It’s Morgan who Jelly Roll says inspired him to do music, thanks to his “Almost Home” single. In honor of Jelly Roll’s upcoming induction, we found four songs that prove the former rapper is worthy of being a Grand Ole Opry member.
“Save Me”
If there’s a song that changed everything for Jelly Roll, it’s “Save Me“. Jelly Roll wrote “Save Me” with David Ray and Grant Sims. It’s this song that finally shed a spotlight on his music, after years of releasing songs independently.
“Save Me” says, “I‘m a lost cause / Baby, don’t waste your time on me / I’m so damaged beyond repair / Life has shattered my hopes and my dreams“.
“I was in one of the darkest places of my whole existence when I wrote this song,” Jelly Roll recalls to Taste of Country, referring to the challenges brought on by 2020. “I was in a very hopeless scenario.”
“Save Me” is not only a lyrical masterpiece, but it also helped Jelly Roll get his record deal with BBR Music Group. In 2023, Jelly Roll released another version of “Save Me” with his good friend, Lainey Wilson.
“Liar”
Jelly Roll pours his heart out in “Liar”. It’s a song he wrote with Ben Johnson, Ashley Gorley, and Taylor Phillips, for his Beautifully Broken album. In “Liar”, the person telling a series of fallacies is Jelly Roll, writing the song about his own struggles.
“Liar” says, “You ain’t nothing but a liar / Yeah, I walked right out the fire / Yeah, you try to keep me down / Try to put me underground / But I’m only going higher.”
Interestingly, Jelly Roll performed “Liar” for the first time at the Grand Ole Opry.
“Son Of A Sinner”
“Son Of A Sinner” is on Jelly Roll’s debut Ballads Of The Broken record. Written by Jelly Roll, along with Ernest Keith Smith and David Ray Stevens, the song is his first No. 1 hit.
“Son Of A Sinner” is his honest reflection of his own life, at least when it was released in 2022. The song says, “I’m just a long-haired son of a sinner / Searching for new ways I can get gone / I’m a pedal to the highway / If you ever wonder why we write these songs / ‘Cause I’m only one drink away from the devil / I’m only one call away from home / Yeah, I’m somewhere in the middle / I guess I’m just a little right and wrong.”
“I Am Not Okay”
If country music’s foundation is three chords and the truth, then the singer-songwriter’s “I Am Not Okay” is perfect for the genre. Out in 2024 on his Beautifully Broken album, Jelly Roll wrote the song with Gorley, Taylor Phillips, and Casey Brown. “I Am Not Okay” is inspired by his own struggles with his mental health.
“I Am Not Okay” says, “I know I can’t be the only one / Who’s holding on for dear life / But God knows, I know / When it’s all said and done / I’m not okay / But it’s all gonna be alright / It’s not okay / But we’re all gonna be alright.”
Photo by Marc Grimwade/WireImage
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