Bryant focuses his muse on the commonalities people share. "We all have a destination," he says. "We all have dreams we want to follow. I’m no different than anybody else, I just sing about it. It's my job to put the party on and give people a good reason to have fun." And that he does, whether it's in the soaring groove of "Summertime Saturday High," the sparkling "Fire,” unabashed romanticism of "Change Your Name” or the vocally-charged, guitar-shredding debut single "Take It On Back."
Raised in Orange Grove, TX (pop. 1,200), Bryant's grandfather played piano in Roy Orbison’s first two bands and, later, for Waylon Jennings. His uncles co-founded the group Ricochet, which had several hits in the '90s. "From the time I was a kid, the only thing I wanted to do was play music," he says.
"I was two or three years old and heard Jerry Lee Lewis’ 'Lewis Boogie' come on my grandfather’s record player. I remember hearing him say, 'My name is Jerry Lee Lewis and I’m from Louisiana' ... and I had an identity crisis! I thought I was Jerry Lee and would walk around saying that. In school, I was the odd kid. There were 20 guitars in town and I owned all of them."
Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Tom Petty, Vince Gill, Bob Wills, Steve Wariner, Bryan Adams and more were early influences, but a confluence of releases brought him to a turning point. "Keith Urban's Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing and records by Sarah Buxton and Jedd Hughes did it," he says. "I knew I wanted to play mainstream country – I always knew. But those records told me that I could be that and still write guitar riffs that would stick in somebody’s head."
"I never wanted to be anybody else," he says. "My grandfather always told me ‘you can't be good at being anybody else. You can only be good at being yourself.’"
Songwriting was an integral part of his development. "It goes back, of course, to getting my heart broken in school," he says. "Some girl broke up with me – I may have been 11 or 12, and I just wrote it down. I was never great at reading, but I liked words, phrases and sentences. The only way I knew to let people know me is through writing. I'd just look at my life, grab some paper and put it down.
"The other thing I'd do is have melodies playing in my head. Something would pop up and I'd just go, 'There it is.' " Encouraged by his parents, particularly his school-teacher mother, he graduated early and moved west. "All I wanted to do was play music and Los Angeles was my first attempt," Bryant says. "Somebody asked me to go out there and write for this little company and I took the first flight. The dream was that simple, but you can't stop before the miracle happens. You have to keep going. And I feel like it was a miracle just making it out of Orange Grove. I loved L.A., but Nashville is where I wanted to come. I probably wrote 400 lousy songs before I wrote my first good one. But one good one was enough to get Nashville managers, pluggers and publishers on board."
Because of his Roy Orbison connection, someone suggested a meeting with Roy's widow, the late Barbara Orbison, a prominent Nashville publisher, who signed Bryant on the spot, making him her final signing before she passed.
That road led Bryant to BBR Music Group imprint Red Bow Records, to which he signed in August 2013. During one early meeting, Founder Benny Brown, notoriously picky about working with producers, surprised Bryant. "He'd listen to my demos and say, 'Where did you cut that?' or 'Who produced that?' And I'd always say, 'In my closet. Cut it myself. Played it myself.' Benny trusted me enough to co-produce with Derek George (Randy Houser, Joe Nichols). He gave me the reins, which was something I always wanted."
Brown's confidence was noteworthy if for no other reason than the fact that Bryant is completely self-taught as a producer. "There were no studios in Orange Grove," Bryant explains. "My parents took me to a Guitar Center and let me get what I needed. From there, I started building little tracks that I would listen to in the car and compare with what I heard on the radio. I taught myself how to make stuff sound bigger and better.”
Despite being on the cusp of exceptional achievement for someone so young (having recently been named one of “The Best Things We Saw at CMA Music Fest 2014” by Rolling Stone) Bryant sees little difference between himself and the audience. "We're all fans," he says. "We're all friends. And the music is our connection. To me, it's a lifelong relationship and we'll all get where we're going together. That's the beauty of music. This is the first chapter of my book, and I think people will find it defines where they're at just as much as it defines where I'm at -- because we're the same – I'm just the guy with the guitar. If I wasn't, I'd be the guy on the front row with his arm around his girl raising a glass to the guy onstage. No question. It's just who I am. Music is everything."
Even Now
Chase Bryant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I still dream about your kiss
Girl, it's only you I miss
I hope you know
Even now
I still think about back then
I see you with me, not him
Girl, I know I broke your heart
I wasn't thinking at the time
You'd wind up in someone else's arms
Now tonight you're breaking mine
Do you love me anymore?
Are you done keeping score?
And going round and round and round and round
Yeah, are we even now?
Even now
I'd drive straight to your front door
Like I shoulda done before
I did you wrong
Even now
Baby, tell me what to do
'Cause I'd do anything for you
Please don't move on
Yeah, I know I broke your heart
I wasn't thinking at the time
You'd wind up in someone else's arms
And now tonight you're breaking mine
Do you love me anymore
Are you done keeping score?
And going round and round and round and round
Are we even now?
Yeah, I've lied
You've lied
I've cried
You've cried
But you know you ain't ever said goodbye
Do you love me anymore?
Are you done keeping score
And going round and round and round and round
Are we even now?
Are we even now?
In the song "Even Now" by Chase Bryant, the lyrics convey feelings of longing and regret as the singer reflects on a past relationship. The repetition of "Even now" emphasizes the continuing presence of memories and emotions tied to the person he still cares deeply for. The lyrics express a sense of remorse for hurting the other person and a desire to make things right. The singer acknowledges the pain he caused by not realizing the impact of his actions, leading to the dissolution of their relationship and the subsequent heartache for both parties.
The lyrics capture the singer's internal struggle with the aftermath of the breakup, as he continues to dwell on what could have been and the feelings he still harbors for his former partner. The line "And I can't let it go" reveals the lingering attachment and the difficulty of moving on from the past. The refrain "Do you love me anymore? Are you done keeping score?" highlights the uncertainty and vulnerability in seeking closure and reconciliation with the other person. It reflects a yearning for clarity and a plea for honesty in understanding where they stand with each other.
The singer's willingness to take responsibility for his actions is evident in lines like "I know I broke your heart" and "I did you wrong." There is a sense of regret and a desire to make amends, as he contemplates what he could have done differently to prevent the loss of the relationship. Despite the hurt and betrayal on both sides, there is a plea for a chance to make things right and salvage what remains of their connection. The raw emotions exposed in the lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and a plea for forgiveness and reconciliation.
The closing lines of the song underscore a sense of mutual pain and shared experiences, as both parties have faced hardships and heartbreak in the wake of their separation. The acknowledgment of past mistakes, shared tears, and unspoken longing all contribute to the sense of unfinished business and a desire to find resolution. The repeated question "Are we even now?" serves as a plea for closure and a hope for a new beginning, as the singer navigates the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring bond that lingers between two people who have shared a deep connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Even now
Despite the time that has passed
I still dream about your kiss
I can't stop thinking about you
Girl, it's only you I miss
I miss only you
I hope you know
I hope you understand
I still think about back then
I still reminisce about the past
I see you with me, not him
I imagine us together, not with someone else
And I can't let it go
And I can't forget about it
Girl, I know I broke your heart
I acknowledge that I hurt you
I wasn't thinking at the time
I didn't consider the consequences
You'd wind up in someone else's arms
You would end up with someone new
Now tonight you're breaking mine
Now you are causing me pain
Do you love me anymore?
Do you still have feelings for me?
Are you done keeping score?
Are you finished tallying my mistakes?
And going round and round and round and round
And repeating the same cycle
Yeah, are we even now?
Yeah, have we reached a resolution now?
I'd drive straight to your front door
I would go directly to your house
Like I shoulda done before
Like I should have done earlier
I did you wrong
I treated you poorly
Baby, tell me what to do
Please advise me on how to make things right
'Cause I'd do anything for you
Because I am willing to do anything for you
Please don't move on
Please don't leave me behind
Yeah, I've lied
Yes, I have been dishonest
You've lied
You have also not been truthful
I've cried
I have shed tears
You've cried
You have also been sad
But you know you ain't ever said goodbye
But you never actually left
Are we even now?
Have we reached a point of reconciliation? Are we equal now?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Chase Yaklin, Joe Haydel, Tim Owens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lonadoyle7345
Beautiful..! I love 💕 this song and Chase Bryant.
@paulajane9828
I love everything about this song forever needs to be played on country radio ♥️🤠💯🎸📻
@liljam92
This song is so good
@SinDragon
I needed this song right now. <3
@coracockrill5599
Wow beautiful song
@MorganMaslow
I’m gonna go cry now. This is perfectly worded and the emotion behind it 🥺😭💔
@danapowell8406
Love this song! I’ve missed your voice and how emotional your voice can be 💕
@marinascott5481
This song hits me hard right now. I love your voice. Thank you for this
@amberdew5779
My new favorite song!!
@NashvilleNoise
Wow, Chase. This is beautiful.