Contemporary country singer/songwriter Chad Brock was born and raised in Oc… Read Full Bio ↴Contemporary country singer/songwriter Chad Brock was born and raised in Ocala, FL; despite performing in the church choir throughout his youth, his initial love was athletics, and he was a highly touted high-school football player. After joining the school chorus, however, Brock also emerged as a star soloist, and became so enamored of music that he turned down a collegiate athletic scholarship to pursue a career as a performer. Relocating to Nashville to work as a songwriter, he initially struggled to get his foot in the music industry's door, and as a result spent three years touring as a member of the World Championship Wrestling organization. Finally, in 1998, Brock signed with Warner Bros. and issued his self-titled debut later that year. The second single, "Ordinary Life," was a breakout hit, climbing into the country Top Five, and "Lightning Does the Work" was also moderately popular. Brock's follow-up was 2000's Yes!, and the title track -- a story song about meeting and romancing his wife -- became his first country chart-topper, nearly making the pop Top 20 as well. 2001's III didn't quite duplicate that success, however.

Discography:
1998-Chad Brock
2000-Yes!
2001-III

Hey Mister
Chad Brock Lyrics

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He sat down next to the window
By the TV at my bar
He ordered Coke and whiskey
And put something in my jar
And old black and white photograph
He hung onto all his life
And his story broke my heart
He said, "She was gonna be my wife"

He said, "Hey mister, please take this picture
'Cause I don't want to miss her anymore
Though the corners are tattered and torn
She's still the one that I adore
Mister, please take this
'Cause I don't want to miss her anymore"

He told me how they met
How at first sight they fell in love
He didn't have to say what happened
The picture told me what it was
Her words in blue there on the back
Had all but been erased
By years of tears and promises
Love lost but not replaced

He said, "Hey mister, please take this picture
'Cause I don't want to miss her anymore
Though the corners are tattered and torn
She's still the one that I adore
Mister, please take this
'Cause I don't want to miss her anymore"

I put his picture in a drawer
With all the other ones like her
I get a different one every now and then
And I hear the same old words

Hey mister, please take this picture
'Cause I don't want to miss her anymore

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Chad Brock's "Hey Mister" tell the heartbreaking story of a man who lost his love and is holding onto an old photograph of her. He sits at a bar, orders a drink and puts something in the jar, presumably a tip for the bartender. He then reveals to the bartender the story behind the photograph, saying that the woman in the picture was going to be his wife. He tells of how they met and how they fell deeply in love at first sight. The photograph has a blue script on the back that has been almost erased by tears and promises of love lost but not replaced.

The chorus of the song that repeats itself tells the poignant tale of the man's wish for someone to take the picture from him because he no longer wants to miss her anymore. The man's request to the bartender to take the picture is a symbolic gesture of him finally letting go of the past and the possibility of a future with his love. The song ends with the bartender keeping the picture in a drawer, surrounded by other similar ones, and occasionally hearing the patron's voice asking yet again to take the picture since he doesn't want to miss her anymore.

Overall the lyrics to this song are beautifully written and powerfully delivered, with Chad Brock's vocals invoking a sense of sadness and longing. It's a story of how love can be lost, but still remain eternally beloved and missed.

Line by Line Meaning

He sat down next to the window
The man arrived and took a seat near the window in the bar.

By the TV at my bar
He chose a spot near the TV.

He ordered Coke and whiskey
He asked for a combination of Coke and whiskey to drink.

And put something in my jar
He left a tip in the jar on the counter.

And old black and white photograph
The man had an aged, black and white photograph in his possession.

He hung onto all his life
He kept it with him for many years.

And his story broke my heart
The man's tale saddened the listener.

He said, "She was gonna be my wife"
He was once engaged to the woman in the photo.

He said, "Hey mister, please take this picture
He requested that the bar owner take the photograph.

'Cause I don't want to miss her anymore
So that he could have a image of her forever and never miss her again.

Though the corners are tattered and torn
Even though the photograph was old and damaged.

She's still the one that I adore
He still loves her deeply.

He told me how they met
He recounted the tale of how he and the woman met.

How at first sight they fell in love
They fell in love as soon as they saw each other.

He didn't have to say what happened
He did not need to explain how their relationship ended.

The picture told me what it was
It was clear from the photograph how things ended between them.

Her words in blue there on the back
The woman had written something in blue ink on the back of the photo.

Had all but been erased
Through the years, her words had become barely visible.

By years of tears and promises
The woman had cried and made promises over the course of their relationship.

Love lost but not replaced
He had lost her, but not found anyone else to take her place.

I put his picture in a drawer
The bar owner stored the photograph in a drawer.

With all the other ones like her
With other photographs of women who were similarly missed and remembered.

I get a different one every now and then
The bar owner receives such requests occasionally.

And I hear the same old words
The bar owner hears the same sentiment every time.

"Hey mister, please take this picture
Each request follows the same pattern.

'Cause I don't want to miss her anymore"
All the requests are made by people who miss their loved ones and want to keep them close through photographs.

Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Written by: DALE OLIVER, DAVE ROBBINS, KIM TRIBBLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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