Ben Rector (born November 6, 1986) is a singer/songwriter from Tulsa, Oklah… Read Full Bio ↴Ben Rector (born November 6, 1986) is a singer/songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma, US now based in Nashville, Tennessee. Rector’s stylistic influences include pop, rock, and folk music.

Rector took piano lessons as a small child but did not begin playing music seriously until he picked up the guitar in high school. He began writing songs in tenth grade and formed a band called Euromart the following year. Euromart made an EP and played club shows in Tulsa, but dissolved when the members left for college.

After high school, Rector attended the University of Arkansas where he studied marketing. During his freshman year he recorded a self-titled EP that featured the song “Conversation”, which won the Grand Prize in the pop category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in 2006. He is the youngest person ever to win the award for the pop category. The EP grew popular in surrounding states, and by his sophomore year, Rector began touring frequently on weekends and during breaks in the school year. In 2008 Rector released his first full-length record, Twenty Tomorrow, followed by Songs That Duke Wrote in 2009. In 2009 Rector was given the NAMA award for best singer songwriter in Northwest Arkansas. During his college career at the University of Arkansas he played approximately 200 shows.

In June 2009 Rector moved to Nashville with his wife to pursue songwriting and to continue his career as an artist. On November 28, 2009 he released Jingles and Bells, a Christmas album composed of classic Christmas songs. Rector arranged the songs and played all the instruments on the album. He released his most recent album Into The Morning on February 16, 2010. Through word of mouth, the record peaked at #5 on the iTunes pop chart, #10 on the iTunes overall chart, and #11 on Billboard Heatseekers.[3] Immediately following the release, Rector co-headlined the “Three Amigos” tour throughout the eastern half of the United States with fellow Nashvillians Steve Moakler and Andrew Ripp. Later in the spring of 2010 he toured with both Dave Barnes and Five for Fighting.

His song “After All” was used in the June 15, 2010 episode of the ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars.

Albums
Year Title
2007 Twenty Tomorrow
2008 Songs That Duke Wrote
2010 Into the Morning
2011 Something like This

EPs
Year Title
2006 Ben Rector
2009 Jingles and Bells

Singles
Year Title
2010 Summer Candy

Follow You
Ben Rector Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Go on, lay your troubles down
Set your feet on solid ground
Peace deep as I have found
I wanna follow you

Come on, all you weak and weary
Come round now if you can hear me
Poor, sick, and God-fearing

I wanna follow you
I said I wanna follow you

Leave all your trouble
Leave all your sorrow
Set down your burden
Come on and follow

Come on, heavy laden
Don’t wait for tomorrow
Come on, my brother
Come on and follow

Go on, leave your worries, too
Not a bit of good they do
There’s a word that’s coming through
Go on, leave your worry, too

So I call your name in the middle of the night
I wanna know can you hear my cries?
June heat and moonlight
I wanna follow you
I said I wanna follow you

Leave all your trouble
Leave all your sorrow
Set down your burden
Come on and follow

Come on, heavy laden
Don’t wait for tomorrow
Come on, my brother
Come on and follow

Set your burdens down
Set your burdens down
Set your burdens down

Leave all of your trouble
Leave all of your sorrows
Set your burdens
Come on and follow

Come on, heavy laden
Don’t wait for tomorrow
Come on, my brother
Come on and follow

Come on, my brother
Come on and follow

Leave all of your trouble
Leave all of your sorrows
Set down your burdens
Come on and follow

Come on, heavy laden
Don’t wait for tomorrow
Come on, my brother
Come on and follow

Come on, my brother
Come on and follow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of this song by Ben Rector are a call for people to let go of their troubles and follow someone, presumably God or a spiritual figure. The song begins with an invitation to leave behind all worries and to set one's feet on solid ground. The idea of peace is mentioned, implying that following this spiritual figure will bring a sense of peace that is deep and truly fulfilling. The chorus repeats the phrase "leave all your trouble, leave all your sorrow, set down your burden, come on and follow" as a reminder that letting go of our problems is necessary to truly follow this figure.

The second verse is an invitation for people who are suffering, such as the weak, weary, poor, and sick, to come and follow. Ben Rector emphasizes that following does not need to wait until tomorrow, but can happen now. The bridge of the song is a call to this spiritual figure, asking if they can hear cries for help. The song concludes with the final repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the importance of leaving all problems behind and following the spiritual figure without hesitation.

Line by Line Meaning

Go on, lay your troubles down
Let go of your difficulties and problems

Set your feet on solid ground
Find stability and security

Peace deep as I have found
Experience true calmness and serenity

I wanna follow you
I desire to walk alongside you

Come on, all you weak and weary
Everyone who is tired and drained, listen up

Come round now if you can hear me
Come to where I am calling if you can hear my voice

Poor, sick, and God-fearing
For those who have humble hearts and are in need

Leave all your trouble
Abandon all your troubles

Leave all your sorrow
Let go of all your sadness

Set down your burden
Place your heavy load on the ground

Come on and follow
Join me on this journey