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.
Lose My Mind
Brett Eldredge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You send me to another planet, get inside my brain
I knew right when I met you, I would never be the same
But I let you take me over, girl, so I'm the one to blame
You make all my screws come loose
Got me perfectly confused
Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild
Lose my mind, oh
You make me crazy and I kinda like it
You show me that apple, girl, and I wanna bite it
So crazy that I gotta have it
And I never wanna get outta this straight jacket
You make all my screws come loose
Got me perfectly confused
Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild
I love the way you make me lose my mind
I feel the walls closing in inside this padded room
Only good thing about it is I'm locked in here with you
I'm always watching you, wondering what you'll do next
But my favorite part about it is, is I always have to guess
You make all my screws come loose
Got me perfectly confused
Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild
I love the way you make me lose my mind
Lose my mind
Lose my mind
Brett Eldredge's "Lose My Mind" is a passionate love song that perfectly captures the feelings of being head over heels in love with someone. The lyrics describe a rollercoaster of emotions that come with falling in love. It is about the feeling of being fully captivated by a person to the point where one loses control of their thoughts and actions. The singer compares his relationship to a rollercoaster, a plane ride, and being on another planet because his partner constantly takes him to new heights emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
The chorus, "You make all my screws come loose, Got me perfectly confused, Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild, I love the way you make me lose my mind, Lose my mind," describes the feeling of falling in love, how it turns everything upside down and erases rational thinking from one's mind. The line, "So crazy that I gotta have it, And I never wanna get outta this straightjacket," talks about a person being so consumed with love that they feel trapped, yet they still want to get deeper in it, which is a powerful way of expressing love.
The last stanza reinforces the idea of the song that although the chaos of being in such a relationship can be overwhelming, it is also what makes the person feel alive. They feel like they are in a padded room because there are no distractions, only they are locked in with the person they love. All in all, the song is an excellent representation of the feelings that come with falling head over heels for someone.
Line by Line Meaning
You put me on a roller coaster, fly me on a plane
You take me on a wild ride, filled with ups and downs and new experiences, making me feel alive.
You send me to another planet, get inside my brain
You make me feel like I'm in a whole new world and have such a strong hold over my thoughts and emotions.
I knew right when I met you, I would never be the same
From the moment I met you, I knew you would have a profound impact on my life and change me forever.
But I let you take me over, girl, so I'm the one to blame
Although you have such a strong hold over me, ultimately, I'm the one responsible for allowing you to take control.
You make all my screws come loose
You have such a strong effect on me that you make me lose my sense of stability and control.
Got me perfectly confused
You have me in such a state of disarray and uncertainty that I don't know which way is up anymore.
Always find a way to mess me up and drive me wild
You have a knack for getting me riled up and causing chaos in my life, but I can't help but enjoy it.
I love the way you make me lose my mind
Despite all the craziness and confusion you cause, I still can't help but love the way you make me feel.
You make me crazy and I kinda like it
Your effect on me is so intense, it's almost maddening, but I can't deny that I enjoy it.
You show me that apple, girl, and I wanna bite it
You tempt me with things that I know may not be good for me, but I can't help but be drawn to it because it's you.
So crazy that I gotta have it
I'm so drawn to you and the chaos you bring that I have to be a part of it, no matter the consequences.
And I never wanna get outta this straight jacket
Even though I may feel confined by the emotions and turmoil you bring, I can't imagine wanting to be free from it.
I feel the walls closing in inside this padded room
I feel trapped and confined by my own thoughts and emotions that are brought on by my love for you.
Only good thing about it is I'm locked in here with you
Although I may feel trapped, the only good part about it is that I'm experiencing it all with you by my side.
I'm always watching you, wondering what you'll do next
Your unpredictability keeps me on edge, and I can't help but be intrigued by what you'll do next.
But my favorite part about it is, is I always have to guess
Despite the chaos and uncertainty, I can't help but love the thrill of the unknown that comes with being with you.
Lose my mind
Repeated line that emphasizes the effect this person has on the singer, causing them to lose control and embrace the craziness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brett Eldredge, Brian Burton, Gian Reverberi, Gianfranco Reverberi, Heather Morgan, Ross Copperman, Thomas Callaway
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
i am bubble
i'm not a country music fan but there are certain songs that itch my brain in the right way and this one right here is one of the ones i could play on a loop forever and never get tired of it
Kathy Barrick
lol, totally agree, never get tired of it!!!
🩵Alana🦋Maree’
Same!
mountianbluebear
I have been telling my wife for months that this is her song, it just fits too perfectly. Yesterday i pull up the music video at work and start laughing so hard my co workers asked if i was okay, through the tears i was able to tell them she was a nurse and we met while both working in a home... you made a music video that summarized our entire relationship!
Tara Shelton
Aww how sweet! I hope you told your wife what you said about her because it will make her 😊 smile! Us women like to be bragged on especially by our husbands! My husband always says that he wouldn’t want a woman that another man wouldn’t look at😂😂😂! 👍❤️
bgarris1
I LOVE THIS SONG!! I can't get enough of this song. Something about it just makes me want to listen to it again and again.
Bailey Dzeskewicz
I LOVE this song. The video might be a little weird but I like it! Brett is AMAZING!! Am I right??
NY Man
100%
Barbara Blake
Such a talent for a catchy tune. Love it and can't wait to hear more of your new music😃 xx
RHEC TRUMP 2024
This song was playing when I asked my girlfriend out and she said yes she is the best thing to happen two me now this is our song