Many Texan music fans met Cody Johnson’s honest style through the radio singles from his "Six Strings, One Dream" album: "Nobody to Blame" (#6 on the Texas music charts in 2009); #1"Pray for Rain" (2009 - 2010); and "Texas Kind of Way" (#6, late 2010 – 2011).
At first he opened for other artists, but Cody has also taken the Texas dance-halls by storm. Increasingly, the Cody Johnson Band is the attraction, and an honest-to-goodness one.
Cody’s childhood, though, was different from his rowdy onstage personality. Growing up, home was Sebastopol, a speck on the East Texas piney woods map, the perfect setting for that country boy to roam the woods, hunt, and fish. Home-schooling and family times around the piano provided the kind of life the kind many folks envy. Even Cody's music training started when dad Carl taught him the chords to “I’ll Fly Away,” a southern gospel favorite.
Starting public school as a freshman, Cody expanded beyond playing the guitar and drums at church. When his AG science teacher overheard Cody playing an original song, he convinced Cody to form a band with other FFA (Future Farmers of America) members. A few months later, Cody's band placed runner-up in the highly-competitive Texas State FFA talent contest.
Cody left the contest realizing he was in love for life: in love with the music, the crowd, and the energy of performing onstage. Beginning in small honky-tonks and bars, he tried different musical styles. Discarding many, today Cody's shows still keep a Garth Brooks-level of energy and a Ronnie Van Zant-outlaw dedication to individual style. Like the late Chris LeDoux's musical beginnings, “CoJo” sold his acoustic CDs from the back of his truck during three years of bull-riding. Cody still shows up today as the true cowboy he is.
After graduation, Johnson worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville. There, supervising prison inmates, Cody confides, "I developed an even greater appreciation for family and friends. Seeing how easy it was to go to prison set me on the 'straight and narrow.'"
Also in Huntsville, Cody met Nathan Reedy, who became his new drummer. With Carl Johnson playing bass, the trio began traveling as the Cody Johnson Band. Their first CD, "Black & White Label," provided funding for travel and radio promotion—and the assurance that the music dream was real.
Along the way, several popular artists have shared their friendship, fans, and wisdom with Cody. Some gave business advice and warned him of issues musicians face on the road. The common thread is that other professionals respect Cody as a performer, songwriter, and individual. In turn, Cody Johnson earns that respect, giving as much effort to an audience of 30 or 30,000. As he states, “I like the crowd to sing along, yell, or whatever makes them feel part of the show. I love big crowds because of the energy and showmanship I can exhibit. I love acoustic shows because of the intimacy and how candid they are. Acoustic shows are like sittin’ around the living room pickin' and grinnin'."
Winning the Texas’ Regional Music Awards as “New Male Vocalist of the Year 2011” caused Cody to choose whether leave the security of state employment to chase his dreams. He followed his own advice to "Always pray for direction, and know that no matter what... the good Lord has a plan."
The answer to that prayer came when Cody's wife Brandi gave her “thumbs-up.” As Cody puts it, "When the woman I love—and plan to spend the rest of my life with—told me that she 'stands by her man' and believes in me 100%, I believed even more confidently that I could live my dream. Though I've had lots of people believe, contribute, push and pull me along, no one's efforts affected my decision emotionally the way Brandi's faith in me did."
Cody indeed left his "day job" for the more-than-full-time music career. But, that’s where the story really begins.
Expanding his boundaries beyond Texas, he flew to Nashville to record a new CD with Nashville studio musicians hand-picked by his "big brother," Nashville-based fellow Texan, Trent Willmon, producer of the new album, A Different Day (released October 31, 2011).
Though new to Nashville recording ways, Johnson’s musical confidence showed in the Music City recording studio. Together, he and the studio musicians tweaked songs to obtain the exact intended effect. Listening to the Music City veterans, Cody adopted suggestions when they felt right, and would "hang tough" when he felt the music differently.
According to CoJo, "I don't want to be labeled as 'Texas' or 'Nashville.' I am me: Texas, outlaw, cowboy, country, and a God-fearing man using the gift He gave me."
- Billie Willmon Jenkin
Human
Cody Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How not to make the easy thing so hard to do
I bet that I'd be further down this road
If I could read the signs that point me to the truth
I never planned on being nothin' but a cowboy
But somewhere I picked up this old guitar
Girl, all I can say is that I'm sorry
All the headlights
All the midnights
Chasing all that empty, still ain't got it right
All the crazy
All the gypsy
Well, I guess all I'm sayin' is forgive me
If I don't know what I'm doing
I'm still learnin' to be human
So far I've been good at burning bridges
Strike a match and ride right out of town
Bless your heart for never trying to fix me
Or quit me, or slow me down
All the headlights
All the midnights
Chasing all that empty, still ain't got it right
All the crazy
All the gypsy
Well, I guess all I'm sayin' is forgive me
If I don't know what I'm doing
I'm still learnin' to be human
All the highways
Playin' outlaw
Rollin' outta nowhere with the breaks off
All the crazy
And the whiskey
Wakin' up and wonderin' what hit me
Whoa, forgive me, I really don't know what I'm doing
'Cause I'm still learning to be human
Mm, still learning to be human
The lyrics of Cody Johnson's song "Human" speak to the struggles of finding one's path in life and trying to learn from mistakes along the way. The opening lines express the frustration of not having everything figured out despite the passage of time. Johnson acknowledges that he might be further along if he could only discern the truth from the "signs" that surround him.
The second verse delves into the singer's life as a cowboy who also picked up guitar along the way. They apologize for their potential carelessness with someone's heart. The chorus includes the repetition of the phrase "all the crazy, all the gypsy" which may suggest the singer's wandering spirit and the difficulty of finding a place to belong. Additionally, the lines "still learning to be human" underscore the idea that the singer is grappling with what it means to be a human being and make mistakes.
The final verse mentions burning bridges and playing outlaw by breaking rules, but the singer praises their partner for never attempting to change or abandon them. The closing lines echo the chorus and reinforce the theme of continual growth and learning to navigate the world while accepting imperfections. "Human" is ultimately about self-reflection, acknowledging one's flaws, and striving to become a better person.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought by now I'd have it figured out
I expected to have my life all figured out by now
How not to make the easy thing so hard to do
I struggle with taking the easy path in life and making things harder for myself
I bet that I'd be further down this road
I believe I would be farther along in life if I knew how to recognize the truth
If I could read the signs that point me to the truth
If I could understand what the universe is trying to tell me, I would be able to make better choices
I never planned on being nothin' but a cowboy
I never had big dreams for my life beyond being a cowboy
But somewhere I picked up this old guitar
I discovered my love for playing music and it changed my life
Girl, all I can say is that I'm sorry
I apologize for any mistakes I may make in our relationship
If I get kind of careless with your heart
If I am sometimes thoughtless with your feelings
All the headlights
All the bright lights on the roads
All the midnights
All the late night drives
Chasing all that empty, still ain't got it right
Even though I've spent so much time searching for something, I still haven't found what I'm looking for
All the crazy
All the wild and unpredictable experiences of my life
All the gypsy
All the traveling I've done, never staying in one place for too long
Well, I guess all I'm sayin' is forgive me
I apologize for anything I've done wrong
If I don't know what I'm doing
If I seem lost and unsure of my path in life
I'm still learnin' to be human
I'm still figuring out what it means to be a human being, with all its joys and struggles
So far I've been good at burning bridges
I tend to cut ties with people and situations quickly and without a second thought
Strike a match and ride right out of town
I leave when things get tough, without trying to work things out
Bless your heart for never trying to fix me
Thank you for accepting me as I am, flaws and all
Or quit me, or slow me down
Thank you for not walking away from me or trying to change me
All the highways
All the different paths I've taken in life
Playin' outlaw
Living life as a rebel, not following the rules
Rollin' outta nowhere with the breaks off
Starting something new without much thought or planning
And the whiskey
My tendency to drink and escape my problems
Wakin' up and wonderin' what hit me
Regretting my choices and unsure of where my life is headed
Whoa, forgive me, I really don't know what I'm doing
I apologize for my mistakes and for not knowing what I'm doing
'Cause I'm still learning to be human
I'm still trying to navigate this complex, messy, and beautiful thing called life
Mm, still learning to be human
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Tony Mac Lane, Travis Meadows
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ooVIDAR
Real Country music is safe with this man.
@GSDC1965
AMEN 🙏 TO THIS 🌍
@GSDC1965
Happy he is HUMAN ❤️
@GSDC1965
Blacksheep ....like me 😌
@whitleyg1482
Could not be said better
@CamaroSS1980
Absolutely! No BroCountry!
@lucasfisher4923
This man will single handedly keep country music alive.
@croc2384
I hope and pray you're right Lucas!
@danielthekidd1460
Look up Ian Munsick
@Murf_Workshop
he's more than capable but luckily we also got Midland, Randall King, Hayden Haddock, and Josh Ward making some noise. Country is getting a good shift these past couple of years.