Brantley Gilbert went to Nashville as a songwriter, where he signed to Warner Chappell Publishing. He continued performing at local venues. In 2009, he released his debut album, A Modern Day Prodigal Son, under independent label Average Joes Entertainment. He followed with Halfway to Heaven in 2010.
In 2011, he signed with Valory Music Co., a division of Big Machine Records, who released a deluxe edition of Halfway to Heaven. The album was produced by Dann Huff. Its first two singles, "Country Must Be Country Wide" and "You Don't Know Her Like I Do", both went to #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. After them, "Kick It in the Sticks" peaked at #34, and "More Than Miles" at #7 on Country Airplay. He won the ACM New Male Artist award in 2013.
Gilbert's second Valory album (third overall), Just as I Am, was released in May 2014. Its lead single, "Bottoms Up," also reached #1. The second single, "Small Town Throwdown," featured guest vocals from labelmates Thomas Rhett and Justin Moore. The third single, "One Hell of an Amen," became Brantley's fourth #1 hit in 2015. The album's fourth single was "Stone Cold Sober," released with the album's platinum edition.
Ahead of his fourth album, The Devil Don't Sleep, Gilbert released the single "The Weekend" as the album's leadoff single. Also included on the album is "The Ones That Like Me."
A deluxe edition of The Devil Don't Sleep includes ten bonus tracks: five demos, and five tracks cut from a live performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
In December 2018, Gilbert released a duet with Lindsay Ell, "What Happens in a Small Town", as the leadoff single to his upcoming fifth studio album, Fire & Brimstone. The album was released in October 2019. "Fire’t Up" was released as the second single off the album.
In June 2020, Gilbert released the single "Hard Days." The song was later included on a deluxe edition of Fire & Brimstone.
In June 2021, Gilbert released the single "The Worst Country Song of All Time", featuring Hardy and Toby Keith, and followed it up with the promotional single "Gone But Not Forgotten" in September 2021. In March 2022, Gilbert and Jason Aldean released another promotional single "Rolex® on a Redneck".
Gilbert released his sixth studio album So Help Me God on November 10, 2022 and announced "Heaven by Then", featuring Blake Shelton and Vince Gill, as the album's second official single.
Best Of Me
Brantley Gilbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Read a letter,
Dropped a tear where you signed your name,
And turning the page,
Smearing the ink into "Love Always."
Girl, I always start this way a
And then I end up in a bottle screaming out your name,
And in the mirror,
I can see the man who just shook his head with no remorse,
Watching an angel cry her tears,
Stepping over my beers as you walked out the door.
And there ain't nothing like a memory,
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
Killing me baby.
It's got me pouring up another drink,
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
When the worst of your memory gets the best of me.
Well, I remember it all too well, riding 441 down to Milledgeville,
Crossing the bridge as the sun set on Lake Sinclair.
I couldn't wait to see you smile,
But all I saw were tears in your pretty eyes and that said it all,
It was all downhill from there.
And I remember you saying, "Baby, please don't give up on me."
Oh my baby, this stubborn man is gonna lie in the bed he made.
'Cause there ain't nothing like a memory,
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
It's killing me baby.
It's got me pouring up another drink,
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
When the worst of your memory gets the best, the best of me.
Baby, there ain't nothing like a memory,
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
Your killing me baby.
Got me pouring up another drink,
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
When the words to your memory gets the best, the best of me.
In "The Best of Me" by Brantley Gilbert, the singer speaks about the memories of his past relationship. The song begins with him finding a box of memories and reading a letter that makes him emotional. He reminisces about the good times they shared and laments about how everything fell apart. He admits that he often turns to alcohol to deal with the pain of the breakup and compares his behavior to a hurricane that cannot be controlled.
The singer talks about how he still remembers everything vividly, from the first time they saw each other to the moment things started to fall apart. However, the memories that stick with him the most are the painful ones. He recalls a time when she cried in front of him and begged him not to give up on her. Despite her pleas, they eventually went separate ways, and he is left to grapple with the weight of those memories. As much as he tries to move on, he cannot seem to escape the pain that comes with it.
Overall, "The Best of Me" is a heartbreaking song that captures the pain and sorrow of a lost love. The memories of the past continue to haunt the singer, and he cannot seem to move on. The song serves as a reminder of how powerful memories can be, and how they can shape our lives for better or worse.
Line by Line Meaning
I found a box of memories,
I stumbled upon a collection of sentimental items that trigger memories of our past together.
Read a letter,
I revisited a letter you wrote to me in the past.
Dropped a tear where you signed your name,
I shed a tear on the spot where you signed your name in the letter I found.
And turning the page,
As I continued reading the letter, flipping to the next page...
Smearing the ink into 'Love Always.'
I tried not to ruin your signature as I cried over your words.
Girl, I always start this way
I always find myself revisiting these memories of you and me.
And then I end up in a bottle screaming out your name,
But then my emotions get the best of me, and I turn to alcohol to cope.
Punching the walls, carrying on like I've gone insane,
I lash out in anger and frustration, unable to handle the pain of losing you.
And in the mirror,
Looking at myself in the mirror...
I can see the man who just shook his head with no remorse,
I see the man who made mistakes and now regrets not valuing our relationship enough.
Watching an angel cry her tears,
I recall the image of you crying, my heart breaking for causing you so much pain.
Stepping over my beers as you walked out the door.
I remember you leaving, and I was too drunk even to realize it fully.
And there ain't nothing like a memory,
Memories can be incredibly powerful and overwhelming.
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
When memories flood back intensely, it can feel like a natural disaster brewing inside.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
I struggle to comprehend how our relationship fell apart so quickly, it all feels so unfair.
Killing me baby.
The pain of losing you is destroying me inside, bit by bit.
It's got me pouring up another drink,
But instead of dealing with my emotions healthily, I turn to alcohol again.
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
The alcohol hits me as hard as a train crash, numbing me to the pain momentarily.
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
I find myself unable to stand or face my emotions, breaking down either against a wall or on my knees.
When the worst of your memory gets the best of me.
When the most painful memories of you and our relationship overwhelm me, I feel like I'm losing myself.
Well, I remember it all too well, riding 441 down to Milledgeville,
I remember our trips together down Route 441 to Milledgeville with perfect clarity.
Crossing the bridge as the sun sets on Lake Sinclair.
I recall the beauty of the sunset over Lake Sinclair, as we crossed the bridge together.
I couldn't wait to see you smile,
I remember looking forward to seeing you so happy and carefree then.
But all I saw were tears in your pretty eyes, and that said it all,
But instead, I found you broken and hurt, opening my eyes to the damage I had caused.
It was all downhill from there.
From that point on, our relationship declined, leading to its inevitable end.
And I remember you saying, 'Baby, please don't give up on me.'
I remember you pleading with me not to give up despite everything, willing to work with me to save our love.
Oh my baby, this stubborn man is gonna lie in the bed he made.
But even with your pleading, I was too stubborn and proud to see the truth until it was too late.
'Cause there ain't nothing like a memory,
Memories and nostalgia hold power and can shape one's present reality.
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
Revisiting certain memories can overwhelm and consume someone like a storm.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
The end of an intense love feels like a betrayal and a profound loss.
It's killing me baby.
The weight of the pain that comes with the end of such love can be unbearable.
Got me pouring up another drink,
The numbness and momentary relief that alcohol provides becomes addictive even when self-destructive.
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
The intensity of the numbness and escapism provided by alcohol can feel crushing.
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
When the pain feels too much to bear, we often feel physically overwhelmed and powerless in its wake.
When the words to your memory gets the best, the best of me.
When pain and memories consume us utterly, it almost feels like we become someone else, losing all control and power over ourselves.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jeremy Lubbock, Richard Marx, David Foster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Leanaan
I'm proud of Brantly...I went to high school with him and he was so much fun to be around. He kept saying he would make it big someday, and I'm glad someone from our little town did. :)
@dylanblake6591
Gotta love Jefferson Ga
@macbook802
That sounds like no star ever
@Leanaan
@@macbook802 ok? 🤔
@justinthegoldenrapper6389
Really
@couplestime9418
Brantley is someone who can tell you about the hard times, good times, fun times , and heart breaking times. He one of the best country artists ever
@jessicacallam3414
Something that I’ve noticed is the BG is one of the truest country singers of all time. When he has a song like this you can hear the pain in his voice. There are two sides to him. This one is slow and the kind you listen to at 3Am and the other one is the kind you crank up at a party because it’s that badass
@jerrymcdonald5003
I don't think this man realizes the power in the lyrics of this song B.G thank you for stirring up emotions gone but never will be forgotten.....love your music
@staceywelborn
Let a local speak for Brantley Gilbert..I love riding down 441 too! Lakemont, GA here :)
@krystalvaughn9109
When you want someone so bad and they cannot return the same feeling it can absolutely destroy a person. This song makes my hear ache. I will forever miss my best friend whoI would drive around with me and go on spontaneous adventures while blasting the country songs we loved.