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
On My Way to You
Cody Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the hell I've caused
All the lips I've kissed
All the love I've lost
I got kicked around
I've been black and blue
On my way to you
All the songs I've sung
All the beers I've drank
All the damage done
I was just passin' time
Kinda just passin' through
On my way to you
Every curve, every ditch
Every turn, every bridge
I left behind me up in smoke
Every fork in the road
It was all worth the while
When I finally saw your smile
Every highway, every heartbreak
Every mountain, every mile
I got the radio up
Sun is going down
I'll take a left at the bank
And I'll head straight through town
So baby, put on that dress
A little sweet perfume
'Cause I'm on my way to you
Yeah, every curve, every ditch
Every turn, every bridge
I left behind me up in smoke
Every fork in the road
It was all worth the while
When I finally saw your smile
Every highway, every heartbreak
Every mountain, every mile
All the boats I've missed
All the hell I've caused
All the lips I've kissed
All the love I've lost
I thank God for that
I guess He always knew
I was on my way to you
On my way to you
On my way to you
Cody Johnson's song "On My Way To You" is a soulful ballad that reflects on the journey of life and how every experience, from heartbreaks to joy, led the singer to his soulmate. The song expresses gratitude for all the ups and downs that brought the singer to his present moment, to be with the one he loves. The lyrics suggest that before finding his true love, the singer made mistakes and had to deal with the consequences. He missed opportunities, hurt people and himself, and fell in love and then lost it. Through it all, he kept moving forward, took the hits, the joys, the losses, and kept going down the road, knowing that eventually he would find what he was looking for.
The song's unpretentious and beautiful lyrics convey a message of hope, that no matter the difficulties, whether self-inflicted or imposed, life will lead us where we are meant to be. The chorus of the song ties everything together, stating that every curve, ditch, turn, and bridge, including the heartbreaks and every mile journeyed, was worth it because it led him to his soulmate. The lyrics suggest that every past hurt, missed opportunity, and hard-chosen decision was preparing him for the love of his life.
Line by Line Meaning
All the boats I've missed
All the opportunities I missed in life
All the hell I've caused
All the trouble I caused in the past
All the lips I've kissed
All the people I've been with in the past
All the love I've lost
All the times I lost love in the past
I got kicked around
I have faced hardships in life
I've been black and blue
I've been physically and emotionally hurt
On my way to you
All of these experiences led me to you
All the stars I've seen
All the things I've experienced in life
All the songs I've sung
All the things I've done in life
All the beers I've drank
All the times I've indulged in life
All the damage done
All the negative consequences of my actions
I was just passin' time
I was just living life without direction
Kinda just passin' through
I was just moving through life without purpose
On my way to you
All of these experiences led me to you
Every curve, every ditch
Every obstacle in life
Every turn, every bridge
Every decision and opportunity in life
I left behind me up in smoke
I moved on from my past
Every fork in the road
Every decision I had to make in life
It was all worth the while
It was all worth it in the end
When I finally saw your smile
When I finally found you and fell in love
Every highway, every heartbreak
Every experience in life, both good and bad
Every mountain, every mile
All the challenges and distance I had to overcome
I got the radio up
I am enjoying the present moment
Sun is going down
The day is ending
I'll take a left at the bank
I am following a specific route to see you
And I'll head straight through town
I am going directly to you
So baby, put on that dress
I want you to be ready to see me
A little sweet perfume
I want you to smell nice for me
'Cause I'm on my way to you
I am excited to see you
I thank God for that
I am grateful for finding you
I guess He always knew
God knew that I would find you eventually
On my way to you
All of my past experiences have led me to you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tony Lane, Brett James
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CORY COX
Met this guy at a bar in a small town in Texas one of the most humble dudes you’ll ever meet
Random_Person _69
Melody tR ????
its your boy mark
Melody tR ????
Gabe
Melody tR what was your point in saying that???
Bryce Management
Best song ever
Marie Cantu
What part of Texas??
John Kiernan
Jesus this guy does great songs ,over and over,, he’s going to be massive ,,, if not there’s something seriously wrong ,,, keep them coming Cody lad,
Kevin V
So refreshing to hear a REAL country song these days...
Ashley Page
Kevin V you aren’t lying my friend!
Kevin V
@Ashley Page Would like to see him in concert, wish he would come to central Fl