The Paris, IL, native was visiting Nashville for the first time early in his sophomore year at Chicago's Elmhurst College. He was at the Station Inn, an historic bluegrass/country venue where many of the greats of both worlds have played. His cousin Terry, a veteran of Dolly Parton's band and now a member of the Grascals, was playing with a band called the Sidemen, and a mesmerized Brett was in the crowd.
"There was something so real and truthful about the songs they were playing," he says. “What happened next came as a shock.”
"He asked me to come up on stage and told me to pick a song to play with the band," says Brett. I said, 'Amarillo By Morning,' and when I heard that fiddle intro, chills shot up my spine. I sang it for the crowd there and it was a magical experience. That was the point where I thought, 'This is it. This is something I've got to do.'"
By the start of the next school year, he had transferred to Middle Tennessee State University and begun the round of writers' nights and writing appointments that led him eventually to a record deal.
The talent that let him turn that dream into reality—the depth of his writing and the sheer power of his smoky and expressive baritone—are both apparent in his first single. "Raymond" is the poignant tale of a nursing home employee mistaken by a patient with Alzheimer's for her deceased son, who was killed at war. It is a song whose inspiring reaffirmation of their mutual humanity is affecting listeners deeply. The single rings true for Eldredge as his Grandmother currently struggles through the disease.
"There are a lot of things I'll play live where people will say, 'I like that,' or 'That's a really cool song,'" Brett says, "but when I do this one, I get the chance to tell people how special a thing it's been in my life, and it always touches someone. A lot of people know someone with Alzheimer's and people react in a really emotional way to it."
Brett has earned a reputation as much for the strength of his writing as for his world-class voice. He and co-writer Pat McLaughlin landed a song called "I Think I've Had Enough" on Gary Allan's latest album, Get Off On The Pain, and one of his frequent collaborators is Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry stalwart Bill Anderson.
"He's one of my favorite people to write with," says Brett. "I love the fact that he believes in country music so much, because it's something I really believe in. My dream, as I find my place in country music, is one day to be an Opry member."
Brett heard all kinds of music growing up, and became a particular fan of the classic pop singers he heard in his grandfather's car.
"I heard a lot of Frank Sinatra, who is still a favorite of mine, and Ray Charles and Bobby Darin," he says. "When my mother convinced me to sing 'Mack The Knife' at a talent show, I got hooked on singing in public."
That was in Paris, a town of 9,000 with "cornfields and factories and lake right in the middle." Brett, his older brother and his parents—a traveling grain salesman and a nurse—lived on the lake and, says Brett, "We were on the water every day, from the time I was so little they could pull me on water skis in a paddle boat until I left for college at 18." Sports were a big part of his life, and he played basketball, baseball and football in high school.
He also sang everywhere he could, often the Big Band music of Sinatra, earning spending money and learning to work a stage. His appreciation for country music became a passion when he turned 16 and he and a friend rode around listening to a Brooks & Dunn greatest hits album.
"There was something about it that just struck me," he says. "I couldn't get enough of it. Ronnie Dunn is one of my favorite singers of all time—I love the soul in his voice—and one of the main reasons I got into this in the first place."
Brett spent two years in Chicago, where his older brother lived, performing with a school jazz band and with a Big Band around the region.
"One of the coolest gigs," he says, "was at the Field Museum, I was singing in front of a 12-piece band under this huge Tyrannosaurus Rex statue near some mammoths. It was quite the experience."
Then came that fateful visit to Nashville and his transfer to MTSU. He studied classic country stylists like Ray Price and George Jones, and later Vince Gill, absorbing everything he could.
"I was driving back and forth Nashville every day from Murfreesboro, which is thirty miles away," he says. "I had a guitar Terry had given me, which was originally a gift from Dolly, and I'd pretty much lock myself in my room and make myself learn songs. I would play writers' nights all around Nashville. There might be two people, there might be 40 or 50. I'd go play my songs and see what people liked and what they didn't. I'd screw up royally in front of them, but I learned."
He earned a degree, which, he says, "made Mom and Dad happy, and then I moved on to what I really wanted to do.
A staff writer for hit producer/publisher Byron Gallimore heard him at a writers' night and introduced him to Byron, who signed him.
"I wrote for about two years, developing my craft and writing with everyone I could. In the beginning, Byron just let me kind of find myself, because that takes a while. As you write more you starting homing in on what you sound good on. Eventually, Byron said, 'You've got something here' and we went in and started cutting songs. We did a showcase, and Carole Ann Mobley from Warner Music Nashville said, 'We've gotta sign this kid'. Mobley and Craig Kallman then signed Brett to Atlantic Records, making him the first official signing for the new imprint.
As he worked with his band tightening his show, he was offered a particularly gratifying gig.
"I opened for Blake Shelton at The Ryman and it was the coolest experience. I flew back from this house gig and all of a sudden I'm thrown into playing the Mother Church of Country Music, something I always dreamed of doing. I was operating on almost no sleep, but stepping out on that stage where everybody who's anybody in country music has been meant the world to me."
He remains active in sports, playing basketball and volleyball and playing on an intramural softball team in Nashville, and rooting for the Cubs and Bears. Meanwhile, he is dedicated to improving his craft.
"As a songwriter," he says, "my aim is to portray a little bit of me and my life along with the stories of other people and turn them into something that can really touch somebody's heart and soul. We sit down on Music Row every day and write songs and every once in a while a song like ‘Raymond’ comes from such a real place. I hope it's that real to other people and that I can make them feel the way I felt when I wrote it and when I sing it."
Judging from audience reaction, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
Bring You Back
Brett Eldredge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Outside and the sun was shinning.
That look on your face
Oh it hit me so hard inside.
I could see how the light was fading
From your pretty blue eyes and
All I needed were the right words,
But they were so hard to find.
In a second my world changed
So fast that my heart was breaking
I wrapped my arms around you
And I just kept saying your name and
I put your hands in my hands
And we dropped to the floor board crying
At the moment your heart gave up on us
I told you,
I'll bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I'll bring you back to love, I will,
Bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I'll bring you back to love
I kissed your tears all falling down
I said baby, you'll always be the one
Aw I'm never going to turn around
Your're all the life that I have in these lungs
We can all be scared to death
Never certain of what it is we want
All the fears we should confess
Holding our breath just dying to speak up
In a second my world changed
So fast that my heart was breaking
I wrapped my arms around you
And I just kept saying your name and
I put your hands in my hands
And we dropped to the floor board crying
At the moment that your heart gave up on us
I told you,
I'll bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I'll bring you back to love I will,
Bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I'll bring you back to love
I remember that night at your mama's house
We were so in love, finally said it out loud
I got down on my knees, said you're the best thing that ever happened to me
You walking down the aisle, I remember it now,
I remember your smile
I told you,
I'll bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I'll bring you back to love I will,
Bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I'll bring you back to love, yeah
I'll bring you back to love
I'll bring you back to love
In Brett Eldredge's song Bring You Back, the singer recounts a pivotal moment in his relationship where he sees the light fading from his partner's eyes and realizes that his love is slipping away. He desperately searches for the right words to say to keep her heart from giving up on them, but cannot find them. In the end, he promises to bring her back to love, making a vow to be there for her and bring her back from the brink of despair.
This emotional song beautifully captures the feeling of helplessness that often accompanies the realization that a relationship is failing. The singer's vulnerability and willingness to do whatever it takes to save his relationship will resonate with listeners who have experienced similar struggles in their own lives.
The song is full of powerful imagery, from the fading light in his partner's eyes to the tears falling down her face. This imagery reinforces the sense of loss and despair that the singer feels, and makes the song all the more poignant.
Overall, Bring You Back is a moving and heartfelt song that showcases Brett Eldredge's talent as a songwriter and performer.
Line by Line Meaning
It happened on a Sunday,
The event occurred on a Sunday, which was characterized by sunshine and good weather.
Outside and the sun was shinning.
The event occurred outdoors on a sunny day.
That look on your face
The expression on your face was very revealing and significant.
Oh it hit me so hard inside.
The look on your face affected me emotionally in a profound way.
I could see how the light was fading
I could tell that your mood was changing and becoming more negative.
From your pretty blue eyes and
I could see the change in your mood reflected in the color of your eyes, which were blue.
All I needed were the right words,
I realized that the best way to address the situation was to communicate effectively, but I struggled to find the right words.
But they were so hard to find.
Despite my efforts, I had trouble finding the words I needed in order to address the situation appropriately.
In a second my world changed
The situation changed suddenly and dramatically, leaving me feeling disoriented and overwhelmed.
So fast that my heart was breaking
The rapidity of the situation was distressing and heartbreaking for me.
I wrapped my arms around you
In response to the situation, I enveloped you in an embrace.
And I just kept saying your name and
In an effort to connect with you, I repeated your name over and over again.
I put your hands in my hands
As a gesture of comfort and closeness, I held your hands in mine.
And we dropped to the floor board crying
The intensity of our emotions overwhelmed us, and we fell to the ground crying.
At the moment your heart gave up on us
In that moment, it felt like the situation had taken a turn and there was no going back.
I told you,
In response to the situation, I communicated something important to you.
I'll bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I was committed to helping you get back to a positive place emotionally and in our relationship.
I'll bring you back to love, I will,
My intention was to restore the love and positivity in our relationship.
Bring you back, I'll bring you back,
I reiterated my commitment and intention to help you through the situation.
I'll bring you back to love
My goal was to repair and restore the love that we had for each other.
I kissed your tears all falling down
As a gesture of compassion and concern, I kissed your tears as they fell down your face.
I said baby, you'll always be the one
I reassured you that you were important to me and would always be special in my eyes.
Aw I'm never going to turn around
I made a commitment to never look back and always move forward with you.
Your're all the life that I have in these lungs
The essence of my life and happiness is closely tied to you and our relationship.
We can all be scared to death
It's common for us as human beings to feel anxious or fearful at times.
Never certain of what it is we want
It can be difficult to be sure of what we want or need in any given situation or relationship.
All the fears we should confess
It's important to express and share our fears and concerns with each other.
Holding our breath just dying to speak up
Many of us find it difficult to speak up and express ourselves, even when we have something important to say.
I remember that night at your mama's house
I recall a happy memory that I shared with you at your mother's home.
We were so in love, finally said it out loud
We had deep affection for each other, which we expressed openly.
I got down on my knees, said you're the best thing that ever happened to me
As a sign of my devotion and gratitude, I expressed that you were the best thing to ever happen to me.
You walking down the aisle, I remember it now,
Another happy memory that I recall is you walking down the aisle during our wedding.
I remember your smile
I am particularly fond of your smile and the happiness that it brings me.
I'll bring you back to love
I am committed to restoring our love for each other.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HEATHER LYNN MORGAN, ROSS COPPERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sarah Elizardo
This song is so beautiful. The way he expresses himself when he sings is amazing. He sings with so much emotion.
Shayla Pilling
First time I've heard this song and now it's on repeat😍
Margo Doty
Absolutely
Lexie Clark
This man makes beautiful music
Joseph Bey
Lexie Clark by jl hi
mrglenn66
Yet another country song that tells the story of EXACTLY what I'm going thru right now. I hope and pray i can "bring her back."
Meredith Grizzle
Waiting for this album to come in the mail right now....it feels like an eternity! Brett, you're fantastic! ;)
Shelly K
I just heard this song for the first time this morning, and wow! I am impressed! This is so heartbreaking, but yet I can't stop playing it. Great job Brett!
Tiffany Gunther
One of my favorite songs from this man!
Jill Barker
Love this, great voice and great song.