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.
Illinois
Brett Eldredge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where pictures shows where the corn grows
In rows and rows of summer greens
And winter snows
And it goes on
Through the crack of the bat
Oh everybody rollin' out their welcome mat
And our hands on our heart under the stars of the Friday night flag
And oh the heart will wander
Beyond that wild blue yonder
When I get lost in the noise like a whisper I hear the voice of the boy
Oh from Illinois
I remember the first time
I saw that name on the marquee sign
Lights so bright could almost make you blind
I'd get lost in
Sweet girls singin' along
Buses rollin' on in the silver dawn
Seein' the world a long, long way from home
And oh the heart will wander
Beyond that wild blue yonder
When I get lost in the noise like a whisper I hear the voice of the boy
Oh from Illinois
It's water through my blood
It's the place I got my roots
It's the fire that's in my soul
It's the mud that's on my boots
Oh Illinois
And oh the heart will wander
Beyond that wild blue yonder
When I get lost in the noise like a whisper I hear the voice of the boy
Oh from Illinois
from Illinois
Oh, oh, Illinois
Takes me back, Illinois
Take me home, take me home, take me home
I come from the heart of the Heartland, Illinois
Brett Eldredge’s song “Illinois” captures the essence of his home state, conveying the sense of pride and nostalgia he feels when he thinks about the land and people he grew up with. The chorus reflects the sense of wanderlust that is common to people from Illinois, who often look beyond the rolling cornfields and snow-covered landscape to dream of exploration and adventure. The reference to the “wild blue yonder” hints at the desire to break free from the constraints of home and seek out new horizons, but the song also captures the enduring love that people from Illinois feel for their roots.
The lyrics of the song also evoke the sound and feel of Illinois, with references to the crack of the bat and the silver dawn. The imagery suggests a way of life that is deeply connected to nature and the seasons, yet also grounded in the traditions of small-town America. The reference to the “welcome mat” is a nod to the hospitality that is another hallmark of Illinois culture, reflecting a sense of openness and warmth that is often associated with the Midwest. Overall, the song is a moving tribute to a place that is deeply rooted in the heart of the Heartland.
Line by Line Meaning
I come from the heart of the Heartland
I am from the central region of America where the states are mostly agricultural and rural.
Where pictures shows where the corn grows
I grew up in a place where the movies show acres and acres of cornfields.
In rows and rows of summer greens
I lived amongst fields of corn, which would stretch so far and wide during summertime.
And winter snows
The landscape would be blanketed in snowfall during wintertime.
And it goes on
And this way of life continues,
Through the crack of the bat
It's still the same during baseball season, with the crack of the bat as its only discernible sound.
Oh everybody rollin' out their welcome mat
Locals pride themselves on their hospitality, and always welcome visitors with open arms.
And our hands on our heart under the stars of the Friday night flag
We all stand tall and proud with our hands on our hearts on Friday nights while singing the national anthem under the Midwest sky.
And oh the heart will wander
However, sometimes, the desire to break away from the ordinary takes hold.
Beyond that wild blue yonder
This desire may compel one to leave the common place behind and venture out.
When I get lost in the noise like a whisper I hear the voice of the boy
During such moments of contemplation, the sound of home rings the loudest in my memory.
I remember the first time
I still recall the memory crystal-clear.
I saw that name on the marquee sign
The thrill of seeing my hometown displayed on a big screen or illuminated sign was unparalleled.
Lights so bright could almost make you blind
The lights were so powerful that it could almost blind a person.
I'd get lost in
I would often get lost in the moment.
Sweet girls singin' along
During such moments, the sound of girls singing was the sweetest music to my ears.
Buses rollin' on in the silver dawn
I would also see tour buses come and go with the break of the new day.
Seein' the world a long, long way from home
These bus rides would take these musicians far away from home, but I was happy to see my hometown represented on a national stage.
It's water through my blood
Illinois runs deeply through my veins.
It's the place I got my roots
I grew up in Illinois and it is forever embedded within me.
It's the fire that's in my soul
The passion I have within me come from the strength of Illinois.
It's the mud that's on my boots
Even after leaving, I am always reminded of my hometown because my boots will always carry its mud with them.
Takes me back, Illinois
Each memory of Illinois takes me back home no matter where I am.
Take me home, take me home, take me home
I long to go back to Illinois, to go back to where I belong.
from Illinois
The place where everything started and everything that makes me who I am today.
Oh, oh, Illinois
My love for my hometown Illinois cannot be overstated.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRAD CRISLER, BRETT ELDREDGE, TOM DOUGLAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Margaret Harris
Born and raised in Chicago the BIG city! But coming to the small towns of Champaign and visiting surrounding towns like Peoria, Paris, Newman, Tuscola, I give much respect to the farmers and the hard working people of the southern rural areas! Peaceful and beautiful as the corn speaks to your heart and the sun rays on your face and the stars light up the night skies! I will always love Chicago but these rural towns have won my heart! Met my beautiful husband here! ❤️
EMT007
those aren't small towns.
Illini Armory
Newman is a small town. I grew up there
Craig Bland
@Illini Armory I’m think he was referring to Peoria and Champaign not being small towns
Matthew Bauer
This gives me the chills when I hear this. Small town Illinois, nothing like it.
Margo Doty
Me too. And I've never been there
Emperor Krtek
Except small towns in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan etc.
Luke 1720
@Emperor Krtek nothing like small towns in the Midwest. Is that better
Amy Atwood
True. My Dad is from Table Grove, Il.
Glockoholic
I agree I’m from Sesser now living in Benton small town with southern hospitality without the southern ignorance