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.
Outlaw State of Mind
Chris Stapleton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I lost my mind somewhere in New Mexico
And TW put a snake on my back
I keep a red bone on my side
And there's people all across the land
From East Kentucky down to Alabam'
Whole lotta like I am all the time
I got friends that know how to have a good time
Yeah, they roll their own and drink Carolina shine
I've seen the devil in a dark coal mine
I've been higher than a Georgia pine
And there's people all across the land
From West Virginia to the Rio Grande
Whole lotta like I am all the time
In an outlaw state of mind
Yeah, there's people all across the land
From New York out to old San Fran
Just don't give a damn all the time
In an outlaw state of mind
The lyrics to Chris Stapleton’s “Outlaw State of Mind” depict the life of a man who has been living outside of the law, which has led him to a place where he no longer cares about societal expectations. In the first verse, he describes his upbringing, where he learned to play guitar on his dad’s old LGO guitar. However, he then reveals that he lost his mind somewhere in New Mexico, which suggests that he veered off the path of righteousness. He then mentions someone named TW, who put a snake on his back, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for someone who led him down a dangerous and deceitful path. The mention of the red bone on his side alludes to him carrying a weapon with him at all times.
In the chorus, he talks about how there are people all across the land who are like him - living in an outlaw state of mind. He mentions East Kentucky, Alabama, West Virginia, and the Rio Grande, which suggests that this lifestyle transcends geographical boundaries. He is essentially saying that there are people everywhere who are living outside of the law, and that it is a way of life.
In the second verse, he talks about his friends who also revel in this lifestyle. They make their own moonshine and know how to have a good time. He has even seen the devil in a dark coal mine, which is a reference to the dangerous and illegal activities that he has experienced. He also mentions being higher than a Georgia pine, which is a reference to getting high on drugs.
Overall, the interpretive message of the song is that there are people all across the land who choose to live in an outlaw state of mind. They are individuals who have strayed from the path of righteousness and live outside of societal norms. It is a dangerous way of life, but for some, it is the only way they know how to live.
Line by Line Meaning
Cut my teeth on Daddy's old LGO
I learned to play guitar with my father's old Gibson and it greatly influenced my musical style
And I lost my mind somewhere in New Mexico
I went through a tough time and had a breakdown while in New Mexico
And TW put a snake on my back
Someone, possibly a friend or mentor named TW, encouraged me down a rebellious and dangerous path
I keep a red bone on my side
I carry a faithful hunting dog with me at all times for protection and companionship
And there's people all across the land
There are individuals from many different places with similar attitudes and lifestyles to mine
From East Kentucky down to Alabam'
Including the southeastern United States and its cultural influence
Whole lotta like I am all the time
There are many other people who share my rebellious and carefree nature
In an outlaw state of mind
In a mindset that defies authority and societal norms
I got friends that know how to have a good time
I have associates who enjoy partying and indulging in various vices
Yeah, they roll their own and drink Carolina shine
They create their own cigarettes and consume illegally distilled liquor from North Carolina
I've seen the devil in a dark coal mine
I have witnessed evil and danger in the gritty settings of underground coal mines
I've been higher than a Georgia pine
I have consumed drugs to the point of being extremely intoxicated
From West Virginia to the Rio Grande
From the Appalachian region to the southern border of Texas
Just don't give a damn all the time
I, and those like me, do not care about societal pressures and expectations
In an outlaw state of mind
We continue to embrace our rebellious behavior and do not conform to societal norms
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ronnie Bowman, Christopher Stapleton, Jerry Salley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Skinnyrunt
on Might as Well Get Stoned
My buddies really liked your music passed away yesterday never did listen to country much but cheers to my big dude Chris Kelley Dallas hope hes doin good up there. Loved u man skinny runt
Patty Hitchcock
on You Should Probably Leave
great song..should play it more
Patricia Hands Bray
on Broken Side Of Love
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