Tennessee

I wrote Tennessee a few months after moving to Nashville in 2021. I was totally infatuated with the city, and the summer was a whirlwind of sunny days, first dates, lake swims, long hikes... basically living in a bit of a fantasy land - summer camp for adults. But as I started to settle in, I also started to snap back to reality. I had moved here for a reason; plus, I'm a real adult now (yikes!) and had responsibilities.

I think that the pairing of whimsy and realism create a sense of nostalgia that is almost tangible throughout the song. We all have those days that, 50 years from now, we'll look back on and smile. The people might not still be around; maybe you've moved; maybe your life looks completely different. But those days shaped you and gave you life. For me, those days will always include my first summer in Tennessee. Those carefree days were fleeting, but they paved the way for me to build a stable life in this city that will always hold a place in my heart. The song will always serve as a reminder of that.