In a time of synthetics and plastics, folks appreciate the real thing. Musi… Read Full Bio ↴In a time of synthetics and plastics, folks appreciate the real thing. Musically, we look for songs that reach beyond our eardrums, touching our hearts. Cody Johnson's unique blend of country and rock does just that.

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

In the Garden
Cody Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet
The birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

I′d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night befalling around me
But He bids me go through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

Overall Meaning

Cody Johnson's song "In the Garden" is a reflective and spiritual hymn about a personal connection with God. The garden symbolizes a serene and peaceful place where the singer comes to spend time alone with God. The dew on the roses signifies the early morning or perhaps an untouched and pure state of being. The voice the singer hears belongs to the Son of God, who reveals Himself to the singer through their time together in the garden. The intimacy of their relationship is apparent in the way God walks and talks with the singer, telling them that they are His own.

The singer describes the joy and sense of calm that comes from spending time with God in the garden. When God speaks, the birds quiet down, emphasizing the power and beauty of His voice. The melody that God gives the singer is something that remains with them, ringing in their heart. The relationship between the singer and God is a shared experience, one that is unique and incomparable to any other. The singer expresses a desire to stay in the garden with God, but ultimately, God bids them to go out into the world, calling them with His voice. The singer leaves the garden, but the connection they feel with God and the joy they experienced together remains.

Line by Line Meaning

I come to the garden alone
I come to be by myself in nature

While the dew is still on the roses
While the morning is fresh and new

And the voice I hear falling on my ear
And I hear a voice speaking to me

The Son of God discloses
And I realize it is the Son of God speaking

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And I feel like I am walking and talking with Him

And He tells me I am His own
And He reassures me that I belong to Him

And the joy we share as we tarry there
And we experience a deep and unique joy by staying there together

None other has ever known
Nobody else has ever experienced this kind of joy

He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet
His voice is like a soothing and pleasant sound

The birds hush their singing
The birds stop singing to listen to His voice too

And the melody that He gave to me
And I feel like He has given me a special melody

Within my heart is ringing
That melody is echoing in my heart

I'd stay in the garden with Him
I would be happy to stay with Him in the garden

Though the night befalling around me
Even if darkness falls and surrounds me

But He bids me go through the voice of woe
But He tells me to leave through a sad and difficult command

His voice to me is calling
He is calling me through His voice

And the joy we share as we tarry there
And we experience that deep and unique joy again by staying together

None other has ever known
That kind of joy cannot be found anywhere else

Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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09(I Wouldn't Go There) If I Were You3:44

10Holes3:40

11Give a Cowboy a Kiss5:05

12Never Go Home Again4:12

13In the Garden (Bonus Acoustic Track)4:34

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Cody Johnson

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@amyp4369

31w

@@rethatodd5583 ummm.... I Wasn't knocking him. But OK!
I'm not here to argue. I'm genuinely CONCERNED for people's souls. Including YOURS.
Jesus will be back Any minute now and we must all have a relationship with Him, NOT the world!!
When we speak to the world, we are to spread the gospel, just like Jesus did when He ate with the sinners.
NOT fellowship with them.
The Bible is very clear on this.
So.. like I said.. I was NOT knocking him. I'm genuinely concerned for EVERYBODY'S soul.
Because hell is a REAL PLACE that people do NOT want to go to. It will be Literal torture for All eternity.
Even people who are throwing their allegiance with the devil will be tortured! Why? Because humans are ALL made in God's image. And the devil hates that.
So... going to church.. singing in church.. even Doing For the church (like I had done for about 10 years).. does Not make you a Christian and disciple of Jesus Christ.
❤️Relationship with Jesus makes you His disciple. Following His commandments makes you His disciple.
Genuine repentance makes you His disciple. ❤️

Like I said, people do Not want to go to hell. Ain't gonna be one big party down there... it will be an ETERNITY of torture.
I pray this lands on fertile ground and that you hear my heart in this matter. Because it is completely 100% a serious matter.
God bless you and your family & friends.
🙏❤️😊⚔️🔥🕊🙌
🔥⚔️ Ephesians 6:12 ⚔️🔥
🔥⚔️ Philippians 4:13 ⚔️🔥

P.S. I was where you are at one point in my life... except it was Eric Church I was defending. (Instead of Jesus!!) I basically said the same exact thing you said to the person who was BEGGING him to repent.
I Thought because Eric sings/talks about Jesus that he was a follower of Jesus. But this is Not the case. That was about 3 years ago.
Two years later, God removed the scales off my eyes. I realized the error of my ways and repented.
Today, I've been walking with Jesus for over a year now. My life has never been better!
Jesus is the Only One who can save ANYBODY and this world!
Love and blessings to you!

All comments from YouTube:

@amyp4369

43w↑2

Love this!
Man... please come on back to your roots.
God can bless you so much better than the devil!!
Please pass this message along to every country singer out there! I miss listening to yall, but please understand I cannot listen unless it's glorifying the Lord.
I don't live for the world anymore. And I pray yall don't anymore either.
Love and blessings to anybody who sees this.
🙏❤️😊⚔️🔥🕊🙌
🔥⚔️Ephesians 6:12⚔️🔥

@rethatodd5583

31w↑1

Cody is still very much a Christian man and has not forgotten his roots. Just because he sings other music to make a living for his family and shares his Amazing voice with others doesn’t mean he’s left. People that are big COJO fans may be brought to the Lord by listening to him sing Gospel as well. I have the utmost respect for this man and knew his grandparents Very well. I personally think they were very Proud of him. And by the way in case you don’t know he lost his grandmother last week and was in Church in Nacogdoches on Sunday morning with his family after burying his grandmother on Saturday. Him and his parents sang in Church Sunday morning “I can’t even walk without you holding my hand”. I had chills all over me and was shouting and Praising God. So Please don’t knock him.