Knight was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Slaughters, Kentucky. His extended family lives in the same area of Kentucky. Knight has three brothers and a sister. When he was three years old, he asked for a plastic guitar for Christmas. At 15, he became serious and began teaching himself John Prine songs on his older brother's guitar. In an interview, Knight commented "At one point I could play probably 35-40 John Prine songs.
Knight earned a degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University. He worked for ten years as a mine reclamation inspector and as a miner's consultant for the Kentucky Department of Surface Mining.
Knight started composing when he was 26, but didn't start performing until he was 30. He got his first record deal when he was 37.
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Chris Knight among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Too Close To Home
Chris Knight Lyrics
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And a woman and a baby child
They were laughing,
Smiled at me when they went to pay
And the way she was talking
About her two little girls
That they were all headed
When she broke out the pictures
That was all I could take
Get a little too close to home
And I'm so far from you
Yeah I'm so far from you,
Too close to home
And I'd come back to you
When there's ever good reason to
At a rest stop just off 40 East
I pulled out to get some sleep
I seen some little kids
Were playing some ball
I woke up when a fly ball hit my hood
A little kid on the playground
Hit it too good
I said enough's enough
I had to give you a call
Get a little too close to home
And I'm so far from you
Yeah I'm so far from you
Too close to home
And I'd come back to you
When there's ever good reason to
Too close to home
?
Everywhere I look I see
Something else reminding me
I don't really have to be alone
It's hitting too close to home
And I'm so far from you
Yeah I'm so far from you
Too close to home
And I'd come back to you
When there's ever good reason to
Hitting too close to home
Too close to home
Too close to home
Too close to home
The lyrics of Chris Knight's "Too Close To Home" describe a man who is on the road and feeling very far from his loved ones. At a café just off I-65, he sees a family - a man, a woman, and a baby - who remind him of the family he himself has left behind. The woman is talking about her two little girls and how they're all headed to Disney World, and he feels a pang of homesickness when she shows him photos of the girls. Later, at a rest stop off 40 East, he sees some children playing ball and is awoken by a fly ball hitting his hood. He decides that he's had enough and gives his loved one a call.
The theme of the song is the pangs of homesickness that can come when you're away from your loved ones for an extended period of time. The images of the family and the children playing ball bring up memories of his own family, and the repetition of "too close to home" emphasizes the idea that these memories are almost too much to bear. However, the song is also about the hope of returning home - the singer says he'll come back when there's ever good reason to, suggesting that his time away will eventually come to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
In a cafe just off I-65 I seen a man
The singer saw a man, a woman, and their baby in a cafe near I-65.
And a woman and a baby child
The couple had a baby with them.
They were laughing, Smiled at me when they went to pay
The family seemed happy and smiled at the singer as they left.
And the way she was talking
The woman was speaking in a particular manner that caught the singer's attention.
About her two little girls
The woman talked about her two daughters.
That they were all headed Down to Disney World
The family was on their way to Disney World.
When she broke out the pictures That was all I could take
When the woman started showing photos, the singer felt overwhelmed.
Get a little too close to home
The situation felt too familiar and personal to the singer.
And I'm so far from you Yeah I'm so far from you, Too close to home
The singer is physically far from home, but the situation felt too close to home emotionally.
And I'd come back to you When there's ever good reason to
The singer would return home if there was a good reason to.
At a rest stop just off 40 East I pulled out to get some sleep
The singer stopped to rest at a rest stop on 40 East.
I seen some little kids Were playing some ball
The singer saw some kids playing ball.
I woke up when a fly ball hit my hood A little kid on the playground Hit it too good
The singer was woken up by a ball hitting his car, hit by a kid playing on the playground.
I said enough's enough I had to give you a call
The singer decided to call home after this experience.
Everywhere I look I see Something else reminding me
The singer sees reminders of home everywhere he goes.
It's hitting too close to home
The situation is becoming overwhelming for the singer.
Too close to home
Everything feels too familiar and personal.
?
There is a missing line in the lyrics.
Too close to home
The situation is too emotional for the singer.
Too close to home
The singer is struggling with the emotional impact of these experiences.
Too close to home
The singer feels overwhelmed by the familiarity of the situations.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KNIGHT, NICHOLSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind