Tracy Lawrence

Track Listing

1. 1. It's All How You Look At It
   Rivers Rutherford, Georgia Middleman, Dave Berg

   This is a song James Stroud had been passionate about for some time, and the first time I heard it I thought it was right up my alley. It's got the kind of life perspective I really like. Musically, it's very contemporary. The tracks are incredible, and I think it's one of the better vocals I've done.

2. 2. Strong
   Jimmy Ritchey, Bob Regan

   There are a lot of women out there who are single moms, who are juggling a very heavy load. This song reflects the natural strength women have. It’s really an anthem for them.

3. 3. Stones
   Jon Michaels, Kim Tribble, Jimbeau Hinson

   This one is definitely the meat and potatoes of the record. It’s about life, the hardcore country stuff I like. And it’s a very real reminder that time marches on. The more I grow, the more experiences I go through, the more songs like this one mean to me. It covers a lot of living, and I have a lot of passion for this one.

4. 4. Paint Me A Birmingham
   Buck Moore, Gary Duffy

   This song is very moving. The imagery it paints is so vivid – you can really see it. You can also really feel the pain of the song. It’s almost like stepping into a book or a movie and living out the scenes along with the characters.

5. 5. Everywhere But Hollywood
   Bobby Pinson, Jimmy Ritchey, Jason Sellers

   This song is so invigorating. It’s just plain fun to sing and it’s something that’s pretty different from a lot of what I’ve recorded.

6. 6. A Far Cry From You
   Tony Lane, Jess Brown, Robin English

   I love mid-tempo songs like this. In fact, many of the songs I’m best known for fall into this category. I love the whole vibe to this one – it’s got that traveling feeling that makes you want to crank it up in your car and just drive. When I sing it, it feels like wearing a favorite old sweater.

7. 7. Bobby Darwin's Daughter
   Larry Boone, Paul Nelson, Rick Huckaby

   I had come into the studio to cut something else that James didn't care much for, and I brought out this song I had found and he loved it. It's got a little bit of a James Taylor feel to it musically. It's another one of those life songs; about a guy who doesn't appreciate what he's got at home, and then something happens to wake him up to what he's got. It's a very powerful record.

8. 8. What The Flames Feel Like
   Marty Dodson, George Teren

   Well, this one certainly stands out, doesn’t it? It gave me a chance to stretch out, do something that challenges the boundaries of this genre a little. It has some real gut to it, some edge. It’s raw and uninhibited.

9. 9. Sawdust On Her Halo
   Monty Criswell, Rick Huckaby

   I’ve recorded this song for the last three records but it kept getting bumped off for one reason or another – it didn’t fit the overall mood or we didn’t have the space. But I was bound and determined to get it on this album. I love singing shuffles and I thought this one was really cool.

10. 10. When Daddy Was A Strong Man
    Kendell Marvell, Casey Beathard

    The perspective I’ve gained in maturing and starting my family has let me hear songs in a different light and maybe pick some to record I wouldn’t have picked a few years ago. I decided to cut this because it was very different. It’s very clever. It reminds me a lot of my own mom and dad. It’s also a very traditional song, and part of what I wanted to do with this album was keep the traditional core but expand what I could do within that.

11. 11. Think Of Me
    Lewis Anderson, Paul Nelson

    The message of this song is so powerful, and it fits in with the mood of our country right now: Let’s all be aware of the folks around us and the trials of their lives. Vocally, this is real unusual for me, but my producer, James Stroud, coaxed those vocals out of me. Once I got into it and got comfortable, it just flowed.

12. 12. The Questionnaire
    Aaron G. Barker, Sr., Ron Harbin, Philip Douglas

    When I heard this song for the first time, it was like reading a book you’re so absorbed in that you can’t put it down and you keep reading it for two days straight. And you get to the end and you’re mad because it doesn’t end right; it’s not the way you wanted it to end. But at the same time, I liked it because it didn’t have that classic predictable ending.