His second album, 2009's Carolina, produced three more singles: "Smoke a Little Smoke" and his first top 10 hits, "Love Your Love the Most" and "Hell on the Heart". 2011's Chief, his first #1 album, gave him his first two #1 singles, "Drink in My Hand" and "Springsteen", and the hits "Homeboy", "Creepin'", and "Like Jesus Does". His third #1 single was "The Only Way I Know", which he, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan recorded for Aldean's album Night Train.
A fourth album, The Outsiders, was released in February 2014. It produced five new singles between 2013 and 2015 with the title track, "Give Me Back My Hometown", "Cold One", "Talladega" and "Like a Wrecking Ball". "Talladega" and "Give Me Back My Hometown" each reached #1 on the Country Airplay chart. Eric Church got his sixth #1 hit with Keith Urban in May 2015 with the single "Raise 'Em Up". His fifth studio album, Mr. Misunderstood, was released in November 2015 and went on to produce two #1 singles with "Record Year" and "Round Here Buzz".
On July 13, 2018, Church released the first single and title track of his album Desperate Man, which was released in October 2018.
In April 2021, Church released the double album set Heart & Soul.
Homeboy
Eric Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your hip-hop hat and your pants on the ground,
Heard you cussed out mama, pushed daddy around
Before you tore off in his car
Here you are running these dirty old streets
Tattoo on your neck, fake gold on your teeth
Got the hood here snowed, but you can't fool me
We both know who you are
Homeboy, you're gonna wish one day,
That you were sittin' on a gate of a truck by the lake
With your high school flame on one side, ice cold beer on the other
Ain't no shame in a blue collar forty,
Little house, little kid, little small town story
If you don't ever do anything else for me,
Just do this for me brother,
Come on home, boy.
I was haulin' this hay to Uncle Joe's farm,
Thought of us barefoot kids in the yard,
Man, it seems we were just catchin' snakes in the barn
Now you're caught up in this mess
I could use a little help unloading these bales
I could keep you pretty busy with a hammer and nails
Ain't a glamorous life but it will keep you outta jail,
Not worry us all to death
Homeboy, you're gonna wish one day,
That you were sittin' on a gate of a truck by the lake
With your high school flame on one side, ice cold beer on the other
Ain't no shame in a blue collar forty,
Little house, little kid, little small town story
If you don't ever do anything else for me, just do this for me brother,
Come on home, boy,
Come on home, boy
You can't hold back the hands of time,
Mama's goin' grey, and so is daddy's mind
I wish you'd come on back and make it all right
Before they're called home, boy
Homeboy
Come on home, boy
Homeboy
Come on home, boy.
In Eric Church's song "Homeboy," the lyrics paint a picture of a troubled youth who has left his small town behind in search of something more exciting. The singer of this song is disappointed with his homeboy, who has turned to a life of crime and is running with a rough crowd. The singer remembers the good times they had as kids and longs for his friend to come back and live a simpler, more fulfilling life.
The opening lines of the song describe the homeboy's rebel spirit, as he wears a hip-hop hat and has his pants low. The singer has heard the homeboy swearing at his parents and even pushing his father. As he speeds off in his dad's car, the singer sees him for who he is, realizing that he can't fool him.
The singer suggests that the homeboy will come to regret his choices and wish he had stayed in their small town instead of getting involved in trouble. He paints a vivid picture of a peaceful life with a high school sweetheart, a cold beer, and a little house. Finally, the singer pleads with the homeboy to come back home before it's too late.
Some interesting facts about "Homeboy" include that it is the second single from Eric Church's album Chief, released in 2011. The song was written by Church and co-writer Casey Beathard, and it was produced by Jay Joyce. The music video for the song was shot in a small town in northern Georgia and features Church and his band performing in a barn.
Line by Line Meaning
You were too bad for a little square town,
You were rebellious and wild for a place where everyone is simple and conformist
With your hip-hop hat and your pants on the ground,
Wearing hip-hop clothing and accessories that are atypical for this area
Heard you cussed out mama, pushed daddy around
I heard that you disrespected and bullied your parents
Before you tore off in his car
You took your father's car and drove away in a hurry
Here you are running these dirty old streets
You are now roaming these neglected and grubby paths
Tattoo on your neck, fake gold on your teeth
Marked with a tattoo on the neck and fake gold teeth, to show off and gain the acceptance of the local crowd
Got the hood here snowed, but you can't fool me
You may have impressed others, but you can't pull the wool over my eyes
We both know who you are
We both recognize your true identity
Homeboy, you're gonna wish one day,
Hey, my friend, one day you will regret
That you were sittin' on a gate of a truck by the lake
That you did not enjoy the simple pleasures of sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck with your girlfriend by the lake
With your high school flame on one side, ice cold beer on the other
Enjoying the company of your high school sweetheart and an ice-cold beer by your side
Ain't no shame in a blue collar forty,
There is no embarrassment in a working-class life
Little house, little kid, little small town story
Having a modest home, children, and living a simple-story life in a small town can be fulfilling
If you don't ever do anything else for me,
If you can't do anything else to make me happy,
Just do this for me brother,
Please, do this one thing for me, my friend,
Come on home, boy.
Return to your hometown, my friend.
I was haulin' this hay to Uncle Joe's farm,
I was taking this hay to my uncle Joe's farm
Thought of us barefoot kids in the yard,
I reminisced about us barefoot children in the yard
Man, it seems we were just catchin' snakes in the barn
It appears as though we were just catching snakes in the barn
Now you're caught up in this mess
But now, you are caught up in a problematic situation
I could use a little help unloading these bales
I can have your help in unloading these bales
I could keep you pretty busy with a hammer and nails
I've got plenty of work to keep you occupied with a hammer and nails
Ain't a glamorous life, but it will keep you outta jail,
It's not a fancy life, but it could prevent you from ending up in jail
Not worry us all to death
And it would alleviate our worries
You can't hold back the hands of time,
The inevitability of time cannot be stopped
Mama's goin' grey, and so is daddy's mind
My mother's hair is turning gray, my father's mental faculties are fading
I wish you'd come on back and make it all right
I hope you will return and make things okay again
Before they're called home, boy
Before they pass away, my friend,
Homeboy
My friend who has gone astray
Come on home, boy
Please come home, my friend
Homeboy
My friend who has gone astray
Come on home, boy.
Please come home, my friend
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CASEY BEATHARD, ERIC CHURCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind