Big & Rich are America’s Technicolor cowboys, brothers-in-arms in service t… Read Full Bio ↴Big & Rich are America’s Technicolor cowboys, brothers-in-arms in service to the creed that great music has no boundaries. Individually, John Rich and Big Kenny are first-rate musicians, songwriters, producers, entertainers. Together, they are one of the most truly original musical forces ever unleashed on a welcoming world. Big & Rich have made a career of being relatable and musically relevant since exploding into the public consciousness in 2003 as the rarest of breeds—true country music game changers. With 2004’s triple-platinum “Horse of a Different Color,” they were able to tap into the best strands of a wide spectrum of popular music, filter them through their pens and voices and produce a sound that is instantly recognizable, if not classifiable.

Their first studio album, Horse of a Different Color, was released in 2004. This album produced four straight Top 40 country hits, including the number 11 "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)", plus collaborations with Cowboy Troy, Gretchen Wilson, and Martina McBride. Comin' to Your City was released in November 2005 followed by another Top 20 single the Vietnam War-inspired "8th of November", and two more Top 40 hits. Joining the duo on this album were Cowboy Troy, Wilson, and Kris Kristofferson. Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace, released in 2007, produced their only No. 1 single, "Lost in This Moment". Both before and during the duo's hiatus, Rich has worked as a producer and songwriter for several other artists.

After this album, both members went on hiatus and released solo albums in 2009 — Big Kenny's The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy and Rich's Son of a Preacher Man. These also produced the duo's first Top 40 solo entries — Big Kenny with "Long After I'm Gone" and Rich with "Shuttin' Detroit Down". In 2010, Big Kenny released his second solo country album, Big Kenny's Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol. 1 and in 2011, Rich released the extended plays For the Kids and Rich Rocks, the latter of which included the Top 40 country single "Country Done Come to Town". Big & Rich reunited in May 2011 to release "Fake ID", a cut from the soundtrack to the 2011 film Footloose. A year later, the duo released their fourth album, Hillbilly Jedi, which produced the Top 20 hit "That's Why I Pray. In July 2013, Rich announced that the duo had begun work on their fifth studio album, Gravity, which was released independently. Another independent album, Did it For the Party, was announced in 2017 for release in September, led by the single "California.

Thank God for Pain
Big & Rich Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Crushed
Smoked
Twisted up and burned like a cigarette
Tossed away in the rain with no regret
I've been drying on the bad side of a goodbye
One fall away from the edge when you kissed me back to life

Thank God for pain

'Cause I never would have known that love could feel this way
And I know it sounds insane but thank God for scars
'Cause every jagged little one got me closer to where we are
And if I hadn't been ripped apart
I never would have kissed your face
Thank God for pain

I was left
I was lost
Heart broke down and out of luck
I was used, all confused
I was covered up in black and blue
If I'd never known that hurt or felt that misery
I'd never known baby how much you mean to me

Thank God for pain
'Cause I never would have known that love could feel this way
And I know it sounds insane but thank God for scars
'Cause every jagged little one got me closer to where we are
And if I hadn't been ripped apart
I never would have kissed your face
Thank God for pain

Thank God for pain
'Cause I never would have known that love could feel this way
And I know it sounds insane but thank God for scars

'Cause every jagged little one got me closer to where we are
And if I hadn't been ripped apart
I never would have kissed your face
Thank God for pain
Thank god for pain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Big & Rich's song Thank God For Pain express the idea that pain, heartbreak, and scars play a crucial role in shaping one's romantic experiences. The song starts with the singer describing his past experiences as being crushed, smoked, and burned like a cigarette. He goes on to explain how these experiences have left him on the bad side of a goodbye, and just one fall away from the edge. However, he is grateful for these experiences because they have made him appreciate the love he has now.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Thank God for pain" and explains that without going through hardships and scars, the singer would never have known how love could feel this way. He realizes that it sounds insane to thank God for scars, but every jagged little one has gotten him closer to where he is now. He concludes by saying that if he had never been ripped apart, he would never have kissed his partner's face.

The song is essentially about finding beauty in pain and reflecting on how difficult experiences in life can ultimately lead to beautiful moments of love and happiness. It's a reminder that the hardships we face can help us appreciate the good times even more.

Line by Line Meaning

Crushed
Feeling defeated and broken.

Smoked
Consumed by a feeling of burning desire.

Twisted up and burned like a cigarette
Feeling contorted and consumed in a destructive way.

Tossed away in the rain with no regret
Thrown aside without a second thought.

I've been drying on the bad side of a goodbye
Suffering from the negative effects of a painful farewell.

One fall away from the edge when you kissed me back to life
Being on the brink of emotional numbness when a loving kiss revived me.

Thank God for pain
Expressing gratitude for the intense emotions that led to finding true love.

'Cause I never would have known that love could feel this way
Without experiencing pain, I would never have understood the depth of love.

And I know it sounds insane but thank God for scars
Despite sounding illogical, scars are a reminder of the journey that led me to love.

'Cause every jagged little one got me closer to where we are
Every emotional wound brought me closer to the place where we are now.

And if I hadn't been ripped apart
If I had not faced extreme suffering,

I never would have kissed your face
I would not have had the chance to experience the sweetness of your love.

I was left
Abandoned and alone.

I was lost
Directionless and without purpose.

Heart broke down and out of luck
Suffering from a broken heart and feeling deprived of good fortune.

I was used, all confused
Feeling exploited and manipulated, with a sense of disorientation.

I was covered up in black and blue
Bruised and battered, both physically and emotionally.

If I'd never known that hurt or felt that misery
If I had not gone through pain and sadness,

I'd never known baby how much you mean to me
I would not have recognized how much you truly matter to me.

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: VICKY LYNN MCGEHEE, MARTIN H. FREDERIKSEN, JOHN D. RICH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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06Run Away with You3:44

07Lose a Little Sleep3:49

08Don't Wake Me Up3:22

09That Kind of Town3:45

10Thank God for Pain3:35

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Big & Rich

11I Came to Git Down3:55

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Comments from YouTube:

@chrishand9324

4y↑1

Thank God for pain . rejected no more . i can finally ignore and dont care bout the judgement . people sometimes expect too much . but as for me , im free.