Paisley has sold over 11 million albums and has won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, and two American Music Awards. He has also earned country music's crowning achievement, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry.[2] Paisley also wrote songs for Pixar's Cars franchise ("Behind the Clouds", "Find Yourself", "Collision of Worlds" (along with Robbie Williams), "Nobody's Fool", etc.).
Paisley has stated that his love of country music stems from his maternal grandfather, who gave Paisley his first guitar at age 8 and taught him how to play. At age 12, Paisley wrote his first song, and by 13 he was the opening act for country singers.
Paisley graduated from John Marshall High School in Glen Dale and enrolled at Belmont University (from 1993 to 1995). While in college, he met Frank Rogers, a fellow student who went on to serve as his producer. Paisley also met Kelley Lovelace, who became his songwriting partner.
After graduating from Belmont, Paisley signed a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing. His debut as a singer was with the label Arista Nashville, with the song, "Who Needs Pictures" (released February 22, 1999). In May of that same year, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later he had his first #1 hit with, ""He Didn't Have To Be."
In 2000, Paisley made an appearance on the nationally televised special, "Route 66: Main Street America" featured on TLC (TV channel) and later that same year he won the Country Music Association's (CMA) Horizon Award and the Academy of Country Music's best new male vocalist trophy. He received his first Grammy Award nomination a year later. On February 17, 2001, after forty appearances on the show, he was inducted into the Opry Hall of Fame.
In 2002, he won the CMA Music Video of the Year for ""I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)." Several celebrities made notable guest appearances in the video, inluding Little Jimmy Dickens, Kimberly Williams (Paisley), Dan Patrick, and Jerry Springer.
Paisley released his third album, Mud on the Tires (2003), following Who Needs Pictures and Part II. The album features the hit song "Celebrity," the video of which parodies reality shows such as Fear Factor and American Idol and included such celebrities as Jason Alexander, Little Jimmy Dickens, Trista Rehn, and William Shatner. The album's title track, "Mud on the Tires," reached Billboard #1 in 2004.
In 2005, after touring with Reba McEntire and Terri Clark on the critically acclaimed "Two Hats and a Redhead Tour," he released Time Well Wasted, containing 15 tracks, including "Alcohol", a duet ("When I Get Where I'm Going") with Dolly Parton, another ("Out in the Parking Lot") with Alan Jackson, and a bonus track, "Cornography".
Brad Paisley was the 2008 CMA and ACM Male Vocalist of the Year winner. Starting with the release of his 1999 album Who Needs Pictures, Paisley has recorded seven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashville label, with all of his albums certified gold or higher by the RIAA. In addition, he has charted 25 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 15 of which have reached #1 with a record 10 consecutive singles reaching the top spot on the charts. On November 10, 2010, Paisley won the coveted Entertainer of the Year award at the 44th annual CMA Awards.
In 2009 he released American Saturday Night which has his first single Then.
His song "High Life," on the 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk, refers to suing Carrie Underwood after hearing that one of Carrie's songs "reminded me of a poem my brother wrote back in second grade." This was a subtle joke about an actual lawsuit from a songwriter who accused Brad of using her material. (In real life, the lawsuit was won by Paisley in 2016.)
Paisley released "Without a Fight", a duet with Demi Lovato, on May 13, 2016. It was to have served as the lead single to his eleventh studio album, but due to poor chart performance it did not make the album's final cut. He was selected as one of thirty artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again" and "I Will Always Love You" which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards. The second single "Today" was released on October 6, 2016, which gave Paisley his first Country Digital Song Sales #1, opening at the top of the chart with 41,000 first-week downloads. The single landed in the #1 spot on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts, marking Paisley's 24th #1 song. On November 11, Paisley announced on Twitter that the title of the album would be Love and War, which was released in April 2017.
Love and War features several collaborations with iconic artists, including Timbaland, John Fogerty, Bill Anderson, and Mick Jagger, as well as a songwriting credit with Johnny Cash.
On October 4, 2018, Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley partnered with Belmont University and opened a free referral-based grocery store in Nashville to help the community in need. The Board of Trustees for The Store include Brad Paisley, President; Megan Zarling, Chair; Pete Fisher, Vice-Chair; Doug Paisley, Secretary and Elaine Bryan, Treasurer. Other board members include Sarah Cates, Jaynee Day, Hope Fisher, David Minnigan, John Zarling, Olivia Munn, John Schario, Scott Scovill, Michael Stagg, Becca Stevens and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Executive Director is Gina Hancock.
In November 2018, Paisley released "Bucked Off", the lead single from his upcoming studio album. On March 11, 2019, Paisley released "My Miracle".
In 2021, Paisley released his own Bourbon brand called "America Highway Reserve." As this whiskey was aged in barrels in the "Rolling Rickhouse" semi-trailer that followed Paisley's 2019 concert tour, Paisley collaborated with Bardstown Bourbon Company to create this Bourbon.
RUNAWAY TRAIN
Brad Paisley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She never says she's coming, she never says goodbye
She's gonna bring the sunshine and she's gonna bring the rain
Its like I'm standing at the station and I'm waiting on a runaway train
When I was a youngin' my momma used to pray
That I'd find me a Christian girl and settle down someday
But the devils at the front door and she's calling out my name
Runaway train coming down the track
Runaway train and don't come back
Yeah I know what she's doing but right now I don't care
She can be Delilah and cut off all my hair
Woman's got a hold on me that I just can't explain
Its like I'm standing at the station and I'm waiting on a runaway train
Runaway train coming down the track
Runaway train and don't come back
In the morning when I wake and find that woman gone
I will swear this time that I'm finally moving on
Deep down in my heart I know nothing's gonna change
And I'll be standing at the station and waiting on a runaway train
Runaway train coming down the track
Runaway train and don't come back
The lyrics to Brad Paisley's "Runaway Train" are about a woman who constantly comes and goes in the singer's life, leaving him waiting at the station for her return. The first verse describes her arrival, with the headlights on the ceiling indicating her approach. She never communicates when she's coming or going, and the singer notes that she brings both sunshine and rain into his life. The metaphorical use of a runaway train suggests that this woman is an unstoppable force that the singer cannot resist.
The second verse delves into the singer's conflict between his upbringing and his desires. His mother hoped he would find a Christian partner, but he is drawn to the woman who calls out his name like the devil at the front door. He acknowledges that he knows what she's doing, but he doesn't care; he is completely taken by her. The chorus features the refrain of the runaway train, further emphasizing the singer's lack of control in the situation.
The final verse depicts the singer's frustration with the woman's constant comings and goings. He knows that deep down, nothing will change, and he'll still be waiting at the station for her. The song ends with the chorus once again, urging the runaway train to not come back. Overall, "Runaway Train" portrays the complex emotions that arise when one is caught up in a tumultuous love affair.
Line by Line Meaning
Headlights on the ceiling as she pulls into the drive
She comes to me unannounced, filling the room with light as she arrives
She never says she's coming, she never says goodbye
She brings the energy that I crave without any warning, but always leaves me wanting more
She's gonna bring the sunshine and she's gonna bring the rain
She is going to fill my life with joy and passion, even in the midst of difficulties
Its like I'm standing at the station and I'm waiting on a runaway train
I feel powerless in the face of her presence, standing witness to the rush of emotions she brings
When I was a youngin' my momma used to pray
My upbringing taught me to seek out a good Christian partner and settle down
That I'd find me a Christian girl and settle down someday
The values instilled in me as a child have stuck with me and still influence my desire for stability
But the devils at the front door and she's calling out my name
Despite my upbringing, I am drawn to the wild passion of this woman who tempts me away from that path
Yeah I know what she's doing but right now I don't care
I am aware of the danger of giving into her pull, but am still entranced
She can be Delilah and cut off all my hair
I know she has the power to hurt me deeply, but I am powerless to let go of her
Woman's got a hold on me that I just can't explain
Her effect on me is something I cannot understand or control
In the morning when I wake and find that woman gone
I know that she will leave me, as she always does
I will swear this time that I'm finally moving on
I will tell myself I am done with her, even though I know it is a lie
Deep down in my heart I know nothing's gonna change
Despite my promises to move on, my heart tells me I will keep coming back to her
And I'll be standing at the station and waiting on a runaway train
No matter how many times I try to leave her, I know I will always be waiting for her next arrival
Runaway train coming down the track
She is like a powerful force that cannot be stopped or controlled
Runaway train and don't come back
I know she will leave me again, but I cannot stop myself from wanting her to stay
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KELLEY LOVELACE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind