The Osborne siblings strummed their first chords during those jam sessions. From the very start, TJ Osborne was the brother with the voice. He sang in a thick, low baritone, crooning like Johnny Cash long before he was even old enough to drive. Older brother John, on the other hand, was the family’s guitar shredder, his fingers capable of down-home bluegrass licks, arena-worthy rock riffs, country twang, and everything in between. Combined, the two Osbornes could play everything from traditional country music to rock & roll, creating a broad, full-bodied sound that would eventually fill the 11 songs on their major-label debut, Pawn Shop.
Like its title suggests, Pawn Shop offers a little bit of everything. There’s bluesy slide guitar, country duets, southern rock solos, harmonies, and plenty of groove. The hooks are big, the guitars are loud, and the songs — every last one of them co-written by the Osbornes, who reached out to award-winning songwriters like Shane McAnally and Ross Copperman for help — introduce a duo whose music bridges the gap between the mainstream and the alternative world. Some songs were written at home in Nashville, while others came together on the road, where the guys spent several years headlining their own club shows, touring the country with Darius Rucker, and playing some of the biggest arenas in America with fellow rule-breaker Eric Church.
“Most duos are built on singing,” says TJ “But John is an incredible guitar player, and this band is built on me singing and John playing guitar. It gives us two parallels that work nicely together.”
“It’s like an old-school rock approach,” adds John, who cites classic bands like Aerosmith and the Allman Brothers as influences on the duo’s dynamic. “Groups like that always had the lead singer as well as the sideman guitar player. That’s what we’re going for, too. We’re carving our own path in country music.”
That unique path has already led the band toward the upper half of the country charts. “Rum” got them there first, mixing the feel-good sunshine of a beach tune with a far more realistic storyline. There’s no actual beach in “Rum,” after all. Instead, Brothers Osborne turn the song into a tribute to the simple pleasures that their Maryland hometown offers: friends, good weather, and the occasional drink. They even filmed the song’s music video in Deale, filling the clip with footage of friends, relatives, and locals.
“Most people we grew up with don’t go to these beautiful beaches,” says TJ. “They can’t afford to do it. They don’t have the time for it. What we’re most familiar with is people going to the local bars and hanging out with each other.” John adds, “We tried to have the biggest time possible with what little we had. ‘Rum’ explains that.” The brothers agree, “We had to say it from our own perspective.”
A similar theme runs throughout “Dirt Rich” and “Pawn Shop,” two songs that stress the importance of appreciating what you’ve got. Pawn Shop dishes up plenty of love songs, too, from “Loving Me Back” — an old-school country duet featuring vocals from Lee Ann Womack — to “Stay a Little Longer,” the band’s biggest hit to date. While a three-minute guitar solo brings “Stay a Little Longer” to an epic, anthemic close, Brothers Osborne also devote time to more laid-back songs, from the nostalgic California country of “21 Summer” to the 420-friendly “Greener Pastures.”
Brothers Osborne, who co-produced the album with Jay Joyce (the award-winning producer behind Little Big Town’s Painkiller, Eric Church’s The Outsiders, and Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller), recorded most of Pawn Shop during breaks in their busy touring schedule, using members of their own touring band rather than session musicians from the Nashville community. The result is an album that’s stamped with the unmistakable mark of a band. It doesn’t sound like two singers, flanked by anonymous players. Instead, it sounds like a group of road warriors who’ve spent years sharing bus seats and hotel rooms, creating the sort of chemistry that can’t be faked. Pawn Shop is both raw and real, and Brothers Osborne — who, years after those household jam sessions in Deale, now have a handful of nationwide tours under their belts, songs on the charts, and a career on the rise — are no longer a family secret.
Younger Me
Brothers Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made it harder than it had to be
Trying hard to dodge my destiny
Would get the best of me
Yeah, younger me
Way too young to pace a bedroom floor
Always dreamed of kicking down the doorWhat were you waiting for
Yeah, younger me
Was as reckless as he should have been
Close calls and down falls and getting back up again
And doing it all again
Yeah, younger me
Overthinking, losing sleep at night
And contemplating if it's worth the fight
If he only knew he'd be alright
Yeah, younger me
Youth ain't wasted on the young
These trips around the sun
I needed every one
To get where I'm standing now
It's an uphill road to run
For my father's son
Keep it together
It won't be that way forever
Younger me
Hanging out but not quite fitting in
Didn't know that being different
Really wouldn't be the end
Ya
Mm, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, youth ain't wasted on the young
There's trips around the sun
I needed every one
To get where I'm standing now
It's an uphill road to run
Yeah, for my father's son
Well keep it together
It won't be that way forever
Younger me
You got me where I am today
Got a few things right along the way
You'll see just wait
Younger me
The song "Younger Me" by Brothers Osborne is an introspective look at the singer's younger self and the struggles he faced while growing up. The chorus is a reflection on how the experiences of his youth have led him to where he stands today. He sings about how he made things harder than they had to be and tried to dodge his destiny. The singer is telling his younger self that he needed to go through all those experiences to get to where he is today.
The verses are more specific about the experiences that shaped him. The singer laments that he spent too much time overthinking and losing sleep at night. He would contemplate if it was worth fighting for the things he wanted in life. He also talks about how he was reckless and had close calls and downfalls, but he always got back up and kept going. The singer remembers feeling like he didn't fit in when he was younger, but now he realizes that being different is what has helped shape him into the person he is today.
Overall, the song carries a message of self-acceptance, growth, and resilience. The singer acknowledges that his younger self was flawed, but he needed to go through those experiences to get to where he is today. The song is a reminder that sometimes we need to embrace our past mistakes and struggles to move forward and become the best version of ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, younger me
Made it harder than it had to be
Trying hard to dodge my destiny
Would get the best of me
The singer reflects on his past self and admits that he was his own worst enemy. He tried to avoid his destiny, which only led to more struggles and hardships.
Yeah, younger me
Way too young to pace a bedroom floor
Always dreamed of kicking down the door
What were you waiting for
The singer looks back at his younger days, when he was full of ambition and dreams of success. He realizes that he should have started pursuing his goals much earlier instead of waiting for the perfect moment.
Yeah, younger me
Was as reckless as he should have been
Close calls and down falls and getting back up again
And doing it all again
The singer admits that he made a lot of mistakes in his youth, but he also learned valuable lessons from them. He became stronger and more resilient as a result of his failures and was determined to turn things around.
Yeah, younger me
Overthinking, losing sleep at night
And contemplating if it's worth the fight
If he only knew he'd be alright
Yeah, younger me
The singer recalls how he used to worry excessively about his future and whether his efforts would pay off. He wishes his younger self knew that everything would eventually work out, and those struggles would be a mere learning experience in the grand scheme.
Younger me
Hanging out but not quite fitting in
Didn't know that being different
Really wouldn't be the end
Younger me
The singer remembers that he felt like an outsider during his youth, and it took him a while to accept that being different was okay. Looking back, he realizes that it was actually a blessing, and now he values diversity and individuality in himself and others.
Yeah, youth ain't wasted on the young
There's trips around the sun
I needed every one
To get where I'm standing now
It's an uphill road to run
Yeah, for my father's son
Keep it together
It won't be that way forever
The singer concludes that he wouldn't be where he is today if it weren't for his experiences as a young person. He acknowledges the challenges that lie ahead but expresses confidence that he can overcome them because he is his father's son. He urges his younger self and others to keep striving through the rough patches in life because things won't always feel as difficult.
Younger me
You got me where I am today
Got a few things right along the way
You'll see just wait
Younger me
The singer thanks his younger self for all the hard work and perseverance that led him to his present-day success. He is proud of the progress he has made and promises his younger self that even more amazing things are yet to come in the future.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Osborne, Kendell Marvel, Thomas Osborne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ChanceT.Abrams
AUTHENTIC is the hidden title of this song to me.
Authentic has no substitute in world that demands fake as popular, hate used for fear, and the cowards parade as the powerful.
Its sort of all falling apart... Let it... Be no part of it.
I take authentic at any price, no labels, no agendas, just lots of love for those in this same trap.
Some people are monsters and they hurt us because they were hurt.
That is a CHOICE, not a destiny.
BE YOU... and let the rest rot in its own soup of hypocrisy.
Younger me is still me, in a slightly older, smarter body.
Carry your scars (hidden or obvious) with honor and forgiveness.
Sometimes what people call worthless is a mirror they hate looking into.
AUTHENTIC is simple, NEVER become what hurts you.
Be safe, make good choices, great things happen (for you and others).
@everettestone1941
Awesome song and beat ❤❤
@nomadstreet
We love you, guys! Thank you as always!!!
@ajreges4291
Rise up... to your destiny...Be all you can be, and more. Be who God created you to be...Just be you...
@manialord1699
facts, he is beautiful as he is
@gaylea.griffin9733
I’m 61. Came out at 17. 1977. Be true to yourself. 👍❤️😎
@pjselarom1290
I came out at 20, '88. Happy Pride!
@elizabethcuddy8913
Gate songs in world of heart 💜❤️❤️❤️🥰😀
@SUSAN-j2w
Such a beautiful song❤
@CarolRudicillLull
❤ I absolutely love 😍 this song 😊
@vivalabirra08
Congratulations!!!!!!