That idea alone ignited excited energy in the writer’s room, but things kicked into high gear when they finally got to writing the lyrics for the chorus. We were teenage dreamin’, front seat leanin’ Trailer park truck stop, faded little map dots “It sounded exactly like small town, American life.” “Every image that was coming out just totally captured the idea of being a kid in the ’80s,” McAnally continued.
“I thought those all sounded like kinda fun, quirky songs, but that day, none of them were hitting us… until we thought, ‘Wait, what if instead of titles, we listed all of those things for the lyrics?’”įrom there, inspiration finally started to flow. “I was going through all of these titles that I thought sounded like good songs-stuff like ‘Doublewide Quick Stop’ and ‘Midnight T-Top’ and ‘Baptist Church Parking Lot,’” McAnally said.
Frustrated, he took out his phone and started going through his notes, eventually reaching a list of potential song titles he had written down. I can throw an idea out there and get the ball rolling.” Shane McAnally (Photo by Robby Klein)īut when he was showing up to a writing session back in the early 2010s with Rodney Clawson and Luke Laird, none of McAnally’s ideas were working, and the metaphorical “ball” was sitting entirely still. It doesn’t mean we’re gonna write that idea that day, but it breaks the ice. “And I always like to come in with something prepared so we’re not just sitting in silence. “I feel like I can’t write without a big, 44 ounce, gas station iced tea,” he said with a laugh. Shane McAnally-the renowned songwriter who’s penned hits for Luke Bryan, Kacey Musgraves, Sam Hunt, and more-likes to go into writing sessions with two things: an idea and something to drink. Written by Shane McAnally, Rodney Clawson, and Luke Laird