When CMT premiered the video for Brandon’s last single HOMETOWN in November 2018, he instantly became what they called,“living history.” The premiere of this video, addressing LGBTQ themes, is a first for the home of Country Music videos.
The video then went on to be named one of Rolling Stone’s Top 10 Country Music Videos of 2018.”
"Country music may not be known for being inclusive to LGBTQ artists, but rising musician Brandon Stansell is redefining the genre one soulful song at a time, “ says Billboard
His is a bold new voice in the genre, as comfortable making you tap your foot as shed a tear - a singer songwriter with something to say, and a voice to remember.
Hometown
Brandon Stansell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your one red light and Baptist steeple
The people here are hard to face
The memories harder to erase
Of all the things that make up what was home
It's funny how they make me feel alone
'Cause I've learned to let it go
It's out of my control
It might sound crazy but
I should say thank you
'Cause now I finally know who I really am
And I'm made from my hometown
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Hmmmm
It's hard to talk to my old man
Who doesn't seem to understand
And my Mamma don't know anymore
All these late night talks turn to fight and wars
Yeah, with all the things that make up what was home
It's funny how they make me feel alone
But I can't change it and that's okay
'Cause I've learned to let it go
It's out of my control
It might sound crazy but
I should say thank you
'Cause now I finally know who I really am
And I'm made from my hometown
Of all the plans and all the dreams
And all the things you thought that I should be
No, but from the twists, the turns, the pain, the hurt
The things I've learned have led me to believe
That, I can't change it and that's okay
'Cause I've learned to let it go
It might sound crazy but
I should say thank you
'Cause now I finally know who I really am, yeah
Now, I can't change it and that's okay
'Cause I've learned to let it go
It's out of my control
It might sound crazy but
I should say thank you
'Cause now I finally know who I really am
And I'm made from my hometown
Yes, I'm made from my hometown
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Ooooohhhhh
Mmmmhhhh
Mmmmhhhh
The song "Hometown" by Brandon Stansell is about someone who has left their small town and returned home after many years. The singer is struggling with the memories and people that remind them of their past, but has come to accept that they can't change what happened. The line "It's funny how they make me feel alone" highlights the isolation the singer feels in their hometown, even though they're surrounded by familiar faces. The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer has learned to let go of the past and embrace who they are, even if their hometown still holds painful memories.
The verses of the song delve deeper into the singer's relationships with their family. They find it difficult to communicate with their father and their mother doesn't seem to understand them anymore. Despite this, the singer has gained wisdom from their experiences and acknowledges that they've learned crucial lessons from the "twists, turns, pain, and hurt" they've endured. Overall, "Hometown" is a bittersweet song about the complexity of returning to the place where one's history lies.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a while since I've seen you
It's been a while since the singer has visited his hometown.
With your one red light and Baptist steeple
The town is small with only one traffic light and a church with a steeple.
The people here are hard to face
The people in his hometown are difficult to confront for the singer.
The memories harder to erase
The singer feels nostalgic and has trouble forgetting his memories of the town.
Of all the things that make up what was home
Several aspects like people, places and memories make up the notion of 'home' for the singer.
It's funny how they make me feel alone
While recollecting these aspects, it's ironic how the singer ends up feeling alone.
But I can't change it and that's okay
The singer acknowledges that he cannot change the past but accepts it.
'Cause I've learned to let it go
The singer has matured in his outlook and has learned to leave the past behind.
It's out of my control
The singer has come to terms with the fact that he cannot control everything.
It might sound crazy but
The singer admits that what he is about to express might appear absurd.
I should say thank you
The singer is grateful for what his past has taught him.
'Cause now I finally know who I really am
The singer is now more aware of his true self because of his past experiences.
And I'm made from my hometown
The town has played a significant role in shaping the singer's identity.
It's hard to talk to my old man
The singer finds it challenging to converse with his father.
Who doesn't seem to understand
His father has trouble comprehending his son's perspective.
And my Mamma don't know anymore
Similarly, his mother is unable to understand the singer's outlook on life.
All these late night talks turn to fight and wars
Even conversations at late hours have led to arguments with his parents.
Of all the plans and all the dreams
The singer reflects on the ambitions that he had while growing up in the town.
And all the things you thought that I should be
He acknowledges that his parents had a particular vision of his future.
No, but from the twists, the turns, the pain, the hurt
But despite the hardships, the singer has learnt many valuable lessons.
The things I've learned have led me to believe
The lessons have contributed to a change in his beliefs.
That, I can't change it and that's okay
The singer has come to terms with the fact that he cannot change the past.
Cause I've learned to let it go
The singer has learnt to let go of the things he cannot change.
Now, I can't change it and that's okay
The singer reiterates that he cannot change the past but has accepted it completely.
Yes, I'm made from my hometown
The town has majorly influenced and helped shape the singer's individuality.
Contributed by Riley E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ArizonaWillful
There is so much hate towards gay men by Christians, based on 1 ancient Jewish priest in Leviticus who condemned homosexuality along with shellfish and mixing fibers in 1 garment. This ancient priest also demanded that God be honored by killing lambs every morning and evening and then splashing their blood on the altar. Christians have set aside everything this priest said except the gay bashing. This may be due to Paul. Paul, a fanatical Orthodox Jew who had a conversion experience with Jesus, inserted all this Old Testament hate into early Christianity. Somehow the opinions of these 2 men became the sacred "word of god" over time, even though Jesus never said a word about it, which in itself is odd since he ran around with 12 men in an age when all adult Jewish men were expected to marry. I think Paul would be astonished if he knew that his epistles suddenly became sacred truth, the word of God.
But as a gay man, I have never felt the least bit of condemnation from God himself or his Son Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit. None. We each have a responsibility to act with integrity and honor. Being gay is simply something a man discovers in himself as an early teenager. As his friends are now attracted to girls, he finds himself only attracted to other guys. This is terrifying! Suddenly, all your normal assumptions about your future (finding a wife, siring children...) seem closed to you. But Sexual orientation is innate. It does not equate to any particular life style. Many Christians call homosexuality a "life style". A life style is deciding to be a Wall Street Broker instead of a Wisconsin Dairy Farmer or a Catholic priest. Being gay is a discovery and is a sexual orientation rather than a life style or action. Some Christian Churches, like the Roman Catholics, demand that a gay man never fall in love and absolutely never have any kind of sexual experience his entire life. Can you imagine your life being that way? God made him gay and then his followers demand that he never fall in love. He is supposed to never experience what makes life most meaningful to most human beings. I choose to live my life with integrity as a gay man, but I wasn't going to deny myself love and commitment. I met and fell in love with another guy in 1977 and we have been together ever since (43 years). He now has Parkinsons and I am his full time care giver. This is what love does. Is there promiscuity in the gay world? Yes, but there is promiscuity where ever you find young horny guys, gay or straight! But instead of this response to my sexual orientation,
I chose to commit to 1 man and live with him through the Crosses of life. Now we are both facing his Parkinsons (with early signs of dementia - which is common after 14 years) and I know that God is on our side because we truly love each other and have lived our lives with dignity and integrity. We live in a typical suburban area and our neighbors love us. I hope Christians will set aside the prejudice of 2 humans in the Bible. I honestly never understood how some letters that a guy wrote (Paul) could suddenly be transformed into the inerrant word of God. Anyone young out there who is discovering their homosexual orientation, hang in there. Gay men are the ultimate scapegoat of many Christians. You will hopefully come to realize that these hateful people speak from ignorance and an inner need to vent their hate. If it wasn't gay people, they would find another group. Rise above them and know that the odds are against them.
Society is moving on. Now that many people know a real gay person, a son, brother, uncle, neighbor or peer or boss at work, they know the old stories are lies. So you need to set them aside yourself and choose a life of basic integrity and honor for yourself. You may have to work much harder than your straight friends to be happy since society isn't constantly bashing them. But in the end, you will know that you were a strong person and you could find happiness regardless of all the bashing and guilt trips within the Christian community. And your experience will give you a spiritual depth (if you have this as a goal) that is much deeper than that of any of your bashers.
God loves you even if some of his followers do not. The Bible Thumpers do not own God. He is yours as much as theirs. In fact, based on their continual hatred, it is obvious to me that they never knew God.
Post Script: Some Christians will point to someone who they claim is an ex-gay, whatever that is. But when such ex-gays have been studied, what has been found is that either they are merely repressing their sexuality in order to gain favor with a particular religious community or family. Or, and this is more important, often the men who claim to be ex-gay were actually BI-SEXUAL. Sexuality is not either-or. Many men are either-both. You would not believe how many married family men came on to me when I was a buff young man in San Francisco. But my point is that if a man is bi-sexual, he can decide to focus on the heterosexual side of his nature and repress the gay side. Such men can then marry a woman and testify that "Jesus saved me from the evil of homosexuality". But they were never 100% homosexual. They were bi-sexual. You will not find a single medical objective study in the Western world that can prove that a 100% homosexual man can be converted to heterosexual simply by being given huge amounts of electric shock treatments, psychotropic drugs, a deluge of condemning Bible passages and physical abuse (Gay conversion ministries). This is why much of this racket is being outlawed by states, at least outside the Bible belt.
Jason S
I just love this song so much! We are stronger because of what we’ve had to go through and where we came from. Brandon you are amazing. Keep making this great music! It helps more than you know.
shark Tenko
and youve made others stronger
i can happily say ive never been in the closest, i wear my gay heart on my sleeve cause i have no reason to hate my self
Dana Horton
The very first part of this video is what I imagine what is going to happen between me and my Christian parents when I come out, and tell them that I am Bisexual Polyamorous. But, I cannot change who I am, at least not in this sense/regards, and I know that that is more than okay. And, I finally have something to be proud of myself for, and I'm not letting it go. 🙂🏳️🌈
Brad Brown
As we enter Pride Month, this music video is so important for us to see and understand. So glad I found this video. Though I will never have a reconciliation with my own mother, I am okay with it. THANK YOU BRANDON!
West Virginia Boys
The best most truthful line in the song that needs to be understood “It’s not a choice”
West Virginia Boys
Dang this song is my life thank you Brandon
CJ JC
Reminds me of being kicked out at 17 because they didn’t want “one of them” living under their roof. Sadly they’re both gone now but I wish they knew this wasn’t a choice. Hard seeing parents so accepting today. Must be nice to have loving parents.
West Virginia Boys
I’ve been there brother
luis moreno
Muy lindo el mensaje y la canción ♥️
West Virginia Boys
The cupcake scene shows what true friends he has I tear up at it