The Readings

Alabama

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:01:32 +0000

Alabama
This song is not on one of our records. But we are very proud of the way it turned out. This song was written for and submitted to the movie Heaven’s Fall. The movie is the true story of nine African Americans wrongly convicted and imprisoned for assaulting a white woman on a train in 1931 Scottsboro, Alabama. This one is sung by the song’s co-writer and our friend Scott Chaney. Personally, we think the song was perfect for the movie. Our contact to the film felt the same way. Unfortunately, they hired a music supervisor who felt otherwise. Should we be happy the movie tanked? You decide…take a listen.

Third Little Word

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:00:26 +0000

Third Little Word
This song addresses those ‘three little words’. It lyrically makes a humorous observation that the most important word in the phrase is the last one. It’s the third word, ‘you’, that gives the phrase unique meaning. We happen to have a female version of this song…we were in the studio when Gretchen Wilson, the Redneck Woman, sang the demo a year or two before she hit it big

First to Know

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:57:55 +0000

The First to Know
This is one of the earliest Nashville compositions written by The Readings, and along with Wanda’s Song, is still considered one of the most honest and real tunes they’ve created.

One of Those Days

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:55:16 +0000

One of Those Days
This song was inspired by the loss of The Readings’ mother, Bonnie, to cancer (you can read a bit about that in the “About” section of this website). Although it is about a person who is terminally ill with cancer, it is very much a song about living. Bonnie lived every day to its fullest, right to the very end; that’s the message of this song.

That’s Gonna Be You

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:51:57 +0000

That’s Gonna Be You
Just as She Brings Me Down is a father/daughter song, this is a father/son tune. This song addresses the common experience of most boys. At some point, when they’re young, Dad is Superman. Just a few short years later, he couldn’t be more uncool. Somewhere along the way, things change, and you wake up one day and realize you’ve become him…and the cycle begins again. This was a fun one to write.

She Brings Me Down

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:49:57 +0000

The inspiration for this story comes from Chris’ (then three year old) daughter, Nicole.

It’s written from the perspective of an everyday, average Dad who sometimes gets lost in his own routine, who from time to time needs a subtle reminder of what’s really important in life. Nicole never seems to care if he’s busy or otherwise occupied; she always wants his time and attention. It’s a needed reminder to stop and be a part of the fleeting moments in her life. She really was three feet high, and definitely is larger than life.

And thank God she’s around–to bring us all down (to earth). Oh, and you can see exactly what we’re talking about in the video we shot for this song. Nicole is the star!

1940

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:47:11 +0000

This song is based on a true story—the lives of our co-writer Randy Barber’s grandparents. A great tribute to them.

Wanda’s Song

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:44:26 +0000

Wanda’s Song
Ironically, this was the first song we wrote when we moved to Nashville and is one we still consider to be among our most unique and creative tunes. It’s the most interesting song we have musically, thanks to the acoustic groove John Paul Lourence came up with, with the verses in a minor key, and the chorus in a major key–it gives the song the funky feel it has. This song has traveled so far thanks to the Internet; it is constantly used in anti-bullying programs all around the World.

Love’s Gone South

thereadings — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:42:10 +0000

Love’s Gone South
This song started out with Chris’s hook ‘Love’s Gone South’ and his idea that the girl had moved south, leaving her guy behind. The literal and figurative interpretation of “gone south” seemed like a good thing to work with…It took some time to come up with the idea that the couple had taken a trip to Miami together and she had fallen in love with it and left him. But once we had that, the idea for the pictures (the ‘double prints’ line…a JP gem), Raul, the lifeguard, and her belated postcard, all flowed nicely. When we reached that point, the story was basically complete; we just had to fill in the words.

38 Days

thereadings — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:55:28 +0000