After serving as the frontman of bluegrass group The SteelDrivers from 2008 to 2010, Stapleton released his debut studio album Traveller in 2015, which reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Among several accolades, he won the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards for Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, and the Grammy Award for Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance at the 58th annual ceremony. His second studio album, From A Room: Volume 1 was released on May 5, 2017, reached number two on the US Billboard 200, and to date has surpassed 500,000 units sold. Six months later, Stapleton released follow-up album, From A Room: Volume 2, which, like its predecessor, debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200.
Stapleton was born in a Lexington, Kentucky hospital. His mother worked at the local health department and his father was a coal miner. He comes from a family of coal miners.[12][13] He has an older brother and younger sister.[14][15]
Stapleton grew up in the small town of Staffordsville, Kentucky, which is located just outside of Paintsville, located between the city and the Paintsville lake. He graduated from Johnson Central High School where he was his class valedictorian and attended Vanderbilt University where he studied engineering, but dropped out after a year.
Stapleton is married to singer-songwriter Morgane Hayes, who co-wrote Carrie Underwood's 2006 single "Don't Forget to Remember Me". She had a recording deal with Arista Nashville. The couple met when they were working at adjacent publishing houses. They have two children and live in Nashville.
Midnight Train To Memphis
Chris Stapleton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Instead of the fine that I could not pay
Said, "Walk right, you'll soon be home
Cross the line, you'll be on your own"
Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences
Forty nights to sit an listen
To the midnight train to Memphis
Well now, whistle blows when the sun comes up
Hit the floor, keep your big mouth shut
Eat your breakfast on the ground
Work like hell 'til the sun goes down
Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences
Forty nights to sit an listen
To the midnight train to Memphis
Well now, ten for the jury, ten for the judge
Twenty more to forget my grudge
When I get to thirty nine
That's the longest day in a prisoner's mind
Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences
Forty nights to sit an listen
To the midnight train to Memphis
Midnight train to Memphis
Midnight train to Memphis
Oh, the midnight train to Memphis
The song "Midnight Train To Memphis" by Chris Stapleton tells the story of a man who has been sentenced to forty days of imprisonment for not being able to pay a fine. The first verse sees the judge giving the sentence, which is something the singer can't pay for and sees him being sent to a prison from where he can only go free if he walks right. The next verse talks about his life in prison, which is characterized by shotguns and barbed wire fences. He spends forty nights listening to the sound of the midnight train to Memphis.
The third verse talks about the routines he follows in prison, where he has to work from sunrise until the sunsets. Then the last verse, the most poignant one, is about the counting of days to freedom. He counts down to thirty-nine, which he believes is the longest in a prisoner's mind. The song has a somber but soulful feel to it and represents many who have been or are in similar situations. This song evokes feelings of empathy from the listener's perspective and reminds us of the harsh realities that many face behind bars.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, judge looked down, gave me forty days
The judge gave me forty days in prison
Instead of the fine that I could not pay
I couldn't pay the fine, so I got sent to jail
Said, "Walk right, you'll soon be home
The judge told me to behave and I'll be released soon
Cross the line, you'll be on your own"
But if I misbehave, I'll be in trouble alone
Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences
I'll be in prison with fences and guns around me for forty days
Forty nights to sit an listen
And for forty nights, I'll have to sit and listen to whatever happens outside
To the midnight train to Memphis
I'll hear the sound of a train heading to Memphis every night
Well now, whistle blows when the sun comes up
I wake up when the whistle blows in the morning
Hit the floor, keep your big mouth shut
I have to keep quiet and do my work
Eat your breakfast on the ground
I eat my meal while seated on the ground
Work like hell 'til the sun goes down
I work from morning till evening without rest
Well now, ten for the jury, ten for the judge
Ten days for the trial, ten days for plea-bargaining
Twenty more to forget my grudge
And twenty more to let go of my resentment
When I get to thirty nine
But when I reach thirty nine days
That's the longest day in a prisoner's mind
It'll feel like the longest day ever for a prisoner
Midnight train to Memphis
I'll keep hearing the sound of the train heading to Memphis at night
Midnight train to Memphis
It represents the idea of escape from his situation
Oh, the midnight train to Memphis
The train symbolizes freedom and a way out of prison
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PaulaVia
Lyrics
Well, Judge looked down gave me forty days
Instead of the fine that I could not pay
Said walk right you'll soon be home
Cross the line and you're on your own
Forty Days of shotguns and barbed wire fences
Forty Nights to sit an listen to the midnight train to Memphis
Well now, whistle blows when the sun comes up
Head to floor keep your big mouth shut
Eat your breakfast on the ground
Work like hell till the sun goes down
Forty days of shotguns and barbed wire fences
Forty nights to sit an listen to the midnight train to Memphis
Well now, 10 for the jury 10 for the judge
20 more to forget my grudge
When I get to 39
That’s the longest day in a prisoner's mind
@jeffthrow6892
It is ridiculous how great this is.....I can just listen to it over & over.....
@metalgeniusjoe5602
It's unreal. This made me want to pick up my guitar and start playing again. Bad ass!
@joshross4082
😮.😅.😅😅@@metalgeniusjoe5602.sp.lh
@brotherc8993
Perfect blend of rock and country. That’s why I love Stapleton.
@waynestewart5646
You said it. Rock. And country music is not what it used to be due to the rock sound so many are trying to bring. The song "Murder on Music Row" by Strait and Jackson says it best.
@colleenhunter2754
The neighbors are gonna listen to this one whether they like it or not 😂
@kathleendaigle857
My neighbors are enjoying it now 2020
@justinpike1393
Ahh yes, my type of people, have a drink on me!
@jamiestever4795
tip of the cap sir!!
@chrisford3414
#facts