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Mark Wills, telling the stories that need to be told.
By: Gina Kay Singerhouse
Editor
It's early as the sun rises across the eastern sky. Across the land, men and women begin their days. Days filled with work, raising children, taking care of the elderly. Days filled with prayer and choices. Days that soon fill with stories. This is America. The land of the free and the home of the brave.
The country music genre will always be filled with those willing to sing stories. Some sing stories of love and heartache. While others sing stories of the brave. Each song, each person, tells a story. It's a matter of taking time to listen.
On June 21st, country music entertainer Mark Wills released his new album Looking For America.
"Well there is a little bit of everything on this record." replies Mark Wills. "That's what I'm the most proud of. It's that it has a large diverse group of songs. But at the same time they all fit together. That's very hard to do. There's songs on there that I consider to be dark. Very dark songs that I have never really done in my career. But when you start out with 'Rockin' The Country' and then you go from that to 'Looking For America' to other songs. It just seems to flow well together. That's not an easy task to put it together."
The album features Mark performing ten songs ranging from ballads to up beat country rock songs.
"I just think it was the lack of having a new album out for a long time." states Mark when asked what inspired him to release such an incredible album. "When you're used to doing a record every year, you kind of get rushed through it. But, this one we took our time. We didn't necessarily rush for the wrong reasons. We just slowly put this album together and did it from a direction of finding the best songs possible and get it out there for the fans."
The album speaks for it's self when it comes to the legitimacy of taking time to pulling it all together.
The album opens with "Rockin' The Country," a hard core up beat country rock song. What brings this song to life is the deep baritone vocals of Mark Wills. This is a song that many hard core country fans will enjoy.
The album continues with the title cut. This is one powerful song that tells us the story of times gone by, in America.
Looking For America
(Jeremy Bussey, Bernie Nelson, Philip Douglas)
I’m chasing down a memory
Of the way that things used to be
Kids playing underneath an old street light
Knowing they were safe when they laid down at night
I’m looking for something I ain’t seen in a while
I’m looking for a factory
Where a man can feed his family
Not worried about them moving it south
Closing the doors and shutting ‘er down tomorrow
I’m looking for America
Chorus:
The land of the free and the home of the brave
Seems like I just woke up one day and it was gone, long gone
But I know in my heart it’s still out there
Can somebody please tell me where
I’m looking for, America
I’m searching for an old church steeple
Where inside you’ll find people
Who live their lives unashamed
And they ain’t afraid to say God’s name out loud
Yeah I’m looking for America
Repeat Chorus:
I’m out here looking for the truth
A few folks to waive the red, white and blue
Who still believe freedom isn’t free
And I guess it’s up to you and me to find it
Yeah we gotta find it
Cause we’re looking for
Repeat Chorus:
"I think as a child you have a limited view of what America is or what our country is." replies Mark when asked what he misses most about America. "I think the thing I miss about our country is the simpler things. The drive-in movies, the kids playing in the yard, the not worrying about something bad happening to all the children playing out in the yard. That someone was going to ride by and pick them up. I think the further that we get from each other and everyone taking care of each other and helping out - you know that saying 'it takes a village to raise a child.' I believe that our neighborhoods have become less safe because we are so less involved in our own worlds.
When I was kid, in my home town, if I was doing something wrong there were at least 5000 people who knew who I was and would have absolutely no problem going 'knock it off! You know better than that!" replies Wills. "Now you're afraid to say anything to any body! 'Cause you'll get sued! I think that's what is wrong with our world. I think we let the ACLU and a lot of other groups take over and make us scared to be what made us great at one point. Now we are in fear of everything we do and we don't want to be involved. I think that's what's making our country weak."
The album continues with "Crazy Being Home," a beautiful ballad that tells a soldier's story.
"The first time I heard 'Crazy Being Home,' I just felt it was a wonderful song." states Mark. "I felt like it was something that needed to be said, that hadn't been said. The first time I heard the song it was all 'I.' I didn't feel this. I don't do that. It was 'I almost forgot to drive over here.' I said that's not me. It made it sound like it was my experience. I think it's a much more powerful song and a much stronger song if you make it about someone else."
Crazy Being Home
Mark Wills
He almost forgot how to drive over here
While he tried to survive a year over there
Some young punk just flipped him off
And ran him off of the road
He just turned 22 last week
In the back of a striker somewhere in Tikrit
He never thought he’d live to be this old
It’s crazy bein’ home
It’s crazy bein’ home
He stepped off a plane
It feels like yesterday
They were waving flags and signs with his name
It said they were proud of what he’d done
If they only knew what he had become
The girl that he loved, she swore she would wait
But he came home to a cold empty place
Had a burger today, got a new cell phone
It’s crazy bein’ home
The stars all look the same
He still answers to his name
It’s okay, but something just ain’t right
It’s right to fight for what you love
But his young eyes have seen too much
Til you’ve been where he’s been, you wouldn’t understand
I hope you never have to my friend
Well he got the call, he’s back on the plane
To where he belongs, that might sound insane
But his brothers are there
They can’t fight this alone
So they dropped him right there in the blood red sand
His best friend is locked and loaded in his hands
And his sergeant yells, boys it’s time to go!
And he thought, it’s crazy bein’ home
(Chopper sounds)
It’s crazy bein’ home
It’s crazy bein’ home
Crazy bein’ home (whisper)
It’s crazy bein’ home
It’s crazy bein’ home
Crazy bein’ home
The song has gone on to become an anthem to USA Cares Warrior Treatment Today campaign song, (www.crazybeinghome.com). Mark also includes an acoustic version of the song on this album.
Mark continues the album with several ballads. the first is a soft ballad called "Like There's No Yesterday." Mark performs this song with heart and soul mixed with the appropriate instrumentals. The second is another great ballad, "Rather Be," about breaking up. Where as "The Whole World," is a wonderful love song. Mark includes other heartache songs in "Smokin' Gun" and "Where Did I Lose You."
This brings us to the eighth cut on this incredible album. "Phantom of The Opry" is a beautiful ballad that captures the essence of the Opry.
Phantom Of The Opry
(Written by Billy Lawson / John Schweers / Roger Murrah)
Around midnight
A shadow appears on center stage
And sings a haunting melody
While a distant fiddle plays
Look closer
You can almost see a rhinestone shining in the dark
He's still a living legend
Living right here in my heart
Chorus:
He's the phantom of the Opry
A grand ole spirit from the Ryman days
He just feels at home here
He don't really mean to haunt this place
Every time it rains in Nashville
They say the angels cry
'Cause the phantom of the Opry
Never got to say goodbye
Some say it's Hank or Lefty
Or that Kentucky Bluebird flying back again
No one knows for certain
But we all know it's more than just the wind
There's a ghostly sound of steel guitar
Crying in the night
Does it come from center stage
Or from somewhere on the other side
Chorus:
He's the phantom of the Opry
A grand ole spirit from the Ryman days
He just feels at home here
He don't really mean to haunt this place
Every time it rains in Nashville
They say the angels cry
'Cause the phantom of the Opry
Never got to say goodbye
Around midnight
A shadow appears on center stage
And sings a haunting melody
While a distant fiddle plays
The first time I ever walked into the Ryman Auditorium, I was over whelmed by the feeling of knowing how many artists had performed on that legendary stage.
In the end, I can only say that this has to be the best album that Mark Wills has created thus far. It is filled with love, respect, caring and sharing. It makes the listener laugh, cry and appreciate what they have. It's very rare in the country music genre to actually have an album that can do all that.
Mark Wills is a story teller and the stories he is telling in this album are unique.
(This article was printed in the July / August 2011 issue of Strictly Country Magazine.)
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