If I had to walk into a Nashville room today, this is what I’d bring
There comes a point where you have to stop writing…
and start choosing.
Not every song belongs in the same conversation.
Some songs are built for radio.
Some are built for records.
Some are built for a very specific artist at a very specific moment.
And if I had to walk into a room in Nashville today—
with one shot to show what I do as a writer—
these are the five songs I’d bring with me.
Not because they’re the only good ones.
But because together, they tell the clearest story of what I can do—and where I come from.
1. My Greatest Win
Lane: Proud Dad / Legacy / Emotional Anchor
🎧 Listen to a 33 second sample of the song
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I live in Georgia, where high school football isn’t just a sport—it’s part of the landscape.
Friday nights. Stadium lights. Families in the stands that have put years into getting one kid to that field.
This song came from watching that—not just the player, but the people behind him.
The rides. The sacrifices. The quiet support that never shows up on a stat sheet.
And it got me thinking:
What if the father never made it that far himself…
but gets to live that dream through his son?
My Greatest Win isn’t about trophies.
It’s about realizing that the thing you’re most proud of…
is standing right in front of you wearing your last name.
It’s simple. It’s honest. And it doesn’t try to be anything more than that.
2. Mother Over 40
Lane: Female Modern Country / Life Reset
🎧 Listen to a 37 second sample of the song
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This one started with a moment I almost missed.
A quiet early morning drive through rural Georgia. Coffee in hand. Country radio on low.
I passed a convenience store and saw a woman walking in with a young boy.
And I made an assumption.
Grandmother.
Then I caught myself.
Why?
Why couldn’t she be the mother?
That question turned into the entire song.
Mother Over 40 is about what happens when life gives you a second act you didn’t plan for.
Just when the house gets quiet… just when you feel like you’re getting your life back…
everything changes again.
And in this case—not just one.
Two.
What mattered most in writing this one was tone.
It had to feel real. Not perfect. Not polished. Just honest.
Because life doesn’t ask if you’re ready.
It just moves.
3. The Bank and the Barn
Lane: Story Song / Album Cut / Traditional Core
This one is all about that final emotional landing in the chorus
🎧 Listen to a 38 second sample
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This one got personal.
It started with something simple—an article about rising nitrogen prices.
The same nitrogen used in fertilizer.
The numbers didn’t make sense.
The cost to grow the crop was higher than what the crop was worth.
And for a lot of people, that’s not just economics.
That’s family land. That’s legacy. That’s everything tied to a name.
I’ve got friends and family who live in that world.
So this wasn’t just a concept—it was something I could feel.
The Bank and the Barn is about what happens when the system turns upside down.
When the bank takes the barn… but it doesn’t take the man.
This isn’t a radio-first song.
It’s an album song.
The kind that sits in the middle of a record and reminds you what really matters.
4. Day By Day
Lane: Female Empowerment / Rebuilding
🎧 Listen to a 37 second sample of the song
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A lot of songs focus on the moment everything breaks.
The fight. The goodbye. The big emotional scene.
But I came across an industry trend that stuck with me:
The songs that are connecting right now aren’t always about the moment it happened.
They’re about what happens after.
Three days later.
A week later.
When the adrenaline is gone and reality sets in.
That’s where Day By Day lives.
It’s not about the collapse.
It’s about the rebuild.
The small decisions.
The quiet strength.
The process of putting your life back together one step at a time.
That perspective shift changes everything.
Because real life doesn’t end at the breaking point.
That’s where it starts.
5. Dreaming For Two
Lane: Male POV / Relationship / Emotional Regret
This one is all about that emotional landing
🎧 Listen to a 38 second sample
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This one goes back a little further.
There was a time in my life where I thought something was becoming real.
You start to see a future. Start to think maybe this is going somewhere.
But then you realize…
You weren’t the only one she made feel that way.
And in that moment, you’ve got a choice.
Stay and get burned…
or walk away while you still can.
I chose to walk.
And like a lot of things at that age, it didn’t end with a big scene.
It just faded.
Like a tumbleweed rolling out of view.
Dreaming For Two lives in that space.
Not loud. Not dramatic. Just honest.
Sometimes the strongest move you make…
is the one where you leave.
Why these five
This isn’t just a list.
It’s a lineup.
Together, these songs cover:
- Male and female perspectives
- Radio-ready and album-depth writing
- Emotional, story-driven, and commercial lanes
But more importantly—they all start from something real.
A moment.
A question.
A piece of life that stuck long enough to turn into a song.
The bigger picture
There are more songs coming.
Some with more edge.
Some built for the stage.
Some that lean harder into personality and energy.
But if I had one shot today—
one room, one conversation—
this is the group that tells the most honest story of what I bring as a writer.
Final thought
At the end of the day, Nashville doesn’t need more songs.
It needs songs that fit.
Songs that know what they are.
Songs that know who they’re for.
And songs that come from somewhere real.
Explore more songs and stories at NashvilleLyrics.com
Where real stories turn into country songs.