Grew Up In A Small Town

Probably Die In A Small Town

Don't worry. This list doesn't feature Little Pink Houses. 

Small towns make sense to me. I guess growing up in a town of around 2500 people was good for me. Don't get me wrong. I love to visit bigger cities like Charlotte or or the booming metropolis of Bristol, but my heart is here. I work at the same hospital I was born in. I drive the same roads every day. I got a good handful of friends that I wouldn't trade for anything. This is where my family, my wife, and all things that are me, reside. 

So that brings me to songs about small towns. There are a million at least. Every genre boasts tons of songs about small town pride, or why small towns suck. I didn't want to go to obvious with the choices here, although I'm sure some will be familiar. 

5) Small Town Hero - Sawyer Brown

From the album This Thing Called Wantin' And Havin' It All
Written by Mark Miller and Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard
Buy it on Amazon

It's a real shame this wasn't a hit, or hasn't been covered by somebody yet. Three verses each tell a story about being the titular hero. The first is a story of someone almost making it in the music business, but ultimately failing. The second tells a tragic story of a Vietnam vet who comes home a hero, but still deals with the demons of war internally. The last is a tale of a farmer who's going to lose his family farm, but before the bankers can take it away, he burns it all to the ground. It's bittersweet in that, yes, they were all heroes. But as Kristofferson said "The going up was worth the coming down."

4) Turning Home - David Nail

From the album I'm About to Come Alive
Written by  Kenny Chesney and Scooter Carusoe
Buy it on Amazon

This one was a pretty solid hit for Nail in 2010. It went up to number 20 on the US Hot Country Songs. Still though, to me anyway, didn't seem exactly like a mainstream country song. It seemed more like a cover of an older song; maybe something from the 70s.  The story circles around some cliches, but Nail's vocal and the chorus really drive the song home. Pun intended? After all the elements come together, it plays a sepia slide show in your mind. It really take you to this town he can't ever seem to leave behind for too long.

3)This Town - Kacey Musgraves

From the album Pageant Material 
Written by Luke Laird, Kacey Musgraves and Brandy Clark
Buy it on Amazon

"Big enough for a ZIP code, a VFW

A good Mexican restaurant, a beauty shop or two

Got a Methodist, a Baptist, and a Church of the Nazarene

Aw, but don't you forget it, as big as we're getting

This town's too small to be mean

Yeah, it's too dang small to be mean"

This 2:57 second song is an ode to the small town. Although it was written about one town in particular, it could be the anthem of hundreds of small towns around the country. The little map dot is growing, but the attitudes stay the same. It's a picture of Anywhere USA, driven by clever lyrics and the sublime styling Ms. Musgraves.

2) My Hometown - Charlie Robinson

From the album Life of the Party
Written by Charlie Robinson
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Truly one of my favorite songs ever. This is the kind of tune you sing along with your buddies around a campfire in early summer. Charlie Robinson takes you on a ride through his memories of growing up and growing out of the his small town. He makes big plans to leave several times, but always ends up home. His friends are now in bigger cities, but if they ever find themselves back there again, he's sure he'll see them around his hometown.

1) Big Day In A Small Town - Brandy Clark

From the album Big Day In A Small Town
Written by Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Mark D. Sanders
Buy it on Amazon

These three songwriters have crafted one of the best tunes I've heard this year. This might be the ultimate small town song. Referencing Waffle Houses, Walmart, dead deer and teenage pregnancy, Brandy Clark illustrates this place with love and simultaneous disbelief. It speaks to those of us who live far away from the urban jungle and pokes fun at the things we get wrapped up in. Give it a listen. Also be sure to check this whole album. It's kind of a big deal.