For singer-songwriter Nail, it was a history-making moment -- small town boy decides to chase a big city dream -- and a theme that has informed his music ever since. On his first album from MCA Nashville, he neatly bridges the divide, laying claim to his hometown roots while keeping a firm grip on the future, and all the deeply emotional territory in between.
“I feel like regardless of where you grew up, city, small town, east coast, west coast or whatever, there’s something in this music that you can relate to,” he says. “They might not all be exactly the same, but everyone has those moments; the first time you left home, falling in love, losing love. That’s what moves me, what I can dig into.”
Nail, son of a former high school band director, cut his musical teeth on a record collection that included Stevie Wonder, Elton John and the Beatles. “Elton John was one of the main reasons I started singing, and is still a tremendous influence,” he says. “I think he and the Beatles are probably two of the greatest melody makers of all time.” Then he moved on to country: “I ‘discovered’ country music in the early 90’s along with everyone else my age,” he says, “but I guess I kind of got more obsessive than everybody else. I found myself looking back as far as the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, exposing myself to some of the biggest stars of that era. It was then that I fell in love with Glen Campbell, who is still one of my all-time favorites.”
Drawn to Music City after high school, Nail took that first step on his long and winding road, following the music. “I had been to Nashville as a small child but I had no memories of what it was like and obviously had no idea what the music business was like,” he says. “I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing.” Overwhelmed, he ended up moving back to Missouri in less than a year.
Returning to Nashville two years later, Nail became frustrated once again in early 2005 with the lack of movement with his music career. David spent the next two summers helping an old college buddy coach the Twitty City Knights, a select group of some of Nashville’s best baseball talent. “I did it just to get away from the reality of what my career had become at that time, and it was being around those kids that recharged my batteries. It reminded me how free and easy life is at 17 and 18 years old and how truly blessed I’d been, both growing up, and now, being able to chase my dream. I will forever look back on that time and those kids for getting me back on track.” Shortly thereafter, mutual friend Brian Wright, who’d recently become V.P., A&R, for both the MCA and Mercury Nashville labels, introduced Nail to Frank Liddell, who 10 years earlier had produced one of Nail’s all-time favorite records, Chris Knight’s self-titled Decca debut.
Through the ups and downs of a life in the music business, Nail was persistent – and his dream became a realization with I’m About To Come Alive, a collection of songs that captures the highs and lows and the hometown flavor of his own experiences. “I wanted to take something from the people who’ve inspired me,” he says, “but also put myself in there, and just make something I could be proud of. It’s definitely a moody record, there’s definitely going to be some heartbreak in there, definitely going to be some dark times. But there’s music you listen to when you’re feeling good, and music you listen to when you’re down and out, and I think this is a record that satisfies both needs.”
From the second he started recording, Nail was determined to bridge the gap between traditional country and the soulful styling’s of a Lionel Ritchie and Ray Charles. “I’ve got to have a piano player with a lot of fire, a little more recklessness!” he says. Liddell (Miranda Lambert) offered up legendary player Chuck Leavell, who brought his inspired piano into the mix with Nail’s smooth, yet soulful vocals to create magic on tracks like “Mississippi.” “It’s a very reflective ballad about a guy from a small town who’s in the city,” Nail says. “Very moody and Ray Charles-esque. Chuck went in there and started playing the intro and suddenly I felt as if I was back in those early days of recording. His playing sent me to another level of singing.”
“Turning Home” had that same soulful emotion and drew Nail’s attention as a demo. “When I first heard it, it was a lot of what I was feeling at the time. I just kept listening to it over and over. I felt like I had always been searching for a song I could really sing, put some emotion, pain and hurt into, and then here was this song,” he said. The result is a perfect match between singer and song, with that same church-meets-honky-tonk piano on the side, and vocals reminiscent of another one of Nail’s big influences, Vince Gill.
Nail wrote five of the eleven I’m About To Come Alive tracks, including “Missouri.” “I was in the middle of a two-year bout with depression,” said Nail. “It’s without a doubt the most honest and personal song I’ve written. I’d been in a relationship for a year or so and could sense something was wrong with me. It was more or less me crying out, pleading for her to leave me because I didn’t have the courage to do it myself.” Along side Scooter Carusoe “Anything But Mine” Nail also wrote “Clouds,” which, he explains, is about one of his most recent misses at romance. “The best songs I’ve ever written just kind of come to me. You don’t have a choice in the matter, they just more or less pour out. Both ‘Missouri’ and ‘Clouds’ were like that.”
With all that emotion going into his songs, he admits he’s a guy who’s always looking for the happy ending. “This is a confession – I’m a man of many extremes, whether working or playing,” he says. “I’m a songwriter, so I’m a sensitive guy. I long for the storybook life.” And it’s produced a lot of good material. “I think the really great singers and writers are able to dig a little deeper and find that other level of emotion,” Nail says. “And I think that’s what makes them better than the rest. I always pride myself on trying to find that place with every song.”
And it’s that moment of raw emotional connection that Nail hopes to pass on to listeners. “I’m more or less just trying to join the fray of good music,” he says. “People ask me all the time how I’d describe my music and I say ‘Well, I hope it’s good.’ Hopefully people will just enjoy it for being good music and take from it whatever it makes them feel.”
Hard knocks and heartache, good times and bad, small towns and big cities – it’s all in his music. “They’re all aspects of life,” he says. “I’m still growing as both a person and artist, and will hopefully continue getting better in regards to both.”
Easy Love
David Nail Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a watermelon ripe on your lips
Somethin' 'bout the way you look at me, made me lose my breath
Radio, window down, sing to me
Every word, every note, every touch
In a world gettin' harder baby, it's an easy love
Shine bright like a summer sun
Feel the heat in between
Yeah, it tastes so sweet
Just like when we were young
It's an easy love
Carolina, come on and carry me
To that honeysuckle heaven you hold
Get lost in the feel of forever
And don't let it go
We can sway to the sound of the river
Scream every note at the top of our lungs
Oh yeah, don't it come so natural baby, this easy love
So, come on, let's get high like a whippoorwill
Shine bright like a summer sun
Feel the heat in between
Yeah, it tastes so sweet
Just like when we were young
It's an easy love
[x2]
Yeah, it's an easy love
How your tan lines shine, I can never resist
Still feels like the first every time we kissed
How your long brown hair flying 'round to the beat
Just like we were seventeen
It's an easy love
Oh, it's an easy love
David Nail's song "Easy Love" is an upbeat and summery tune that captures the feeling of young love. It opens with a suggestive metaphor comparing the feeling of being with someone special to that of biting into a ripe watermelon with full lips. The upbeat melody and lively rhythm create a sense of carefree love, with the singer reveling in the way his lover looks at him and losing his breath in the process. The first verse sets the scene for the rest of the song as the singer gets lost in the music, singing every word and note he hears, feeling the warmth and ease of being with someone who loves him.
As the song progresses, the scene shifts to Carolina, where the lovers lose themselves in the feel of forever. The endlessness of the moment is captured in the lyrics, with the singer urging his lover to carry him away to that honeysuckle heaven she holds. The music is the perfect accompaniment for the lyrics, with the river flowing in perfect harmony with the lovers' voices as they scream every note at the top of their lungs. Throughout the song, it becomes clear that what the singer is feeling is a love that is purely easy, natural, and unforced.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on girl, don't it feel good to you
Asking the girl if she is enjoying the moment
Like a watermelon ripe on your lips
Comparing the taste of love to a ripe watermelon
Somethin' 'bout the way you look at me, made me lose my breath
Explaining how he feels that he's breathless when she looks at him
Radio, window down, sing to me
Describing a romantic moment listening to music with his girl
Every word, every note, every touch
Cherishing every moment with his girl, from the music to the physical touch
In a world gettin' harder baby, it's an easy love
Relishing in the simplicity of their love in a complex world
So, come on, let's get high like a whippoorwill
Inviting his girl to be carefree and happy
Shine bright like a summer sun
Wanting his girl to be the brightest thing in his life
Feel the heat in between
Embracing their passion and love
Yeah, it tastes so sweet
Describing their love as something very pleasant
Just like when we were young
Reliving the early days of their relationship
Carolina, come on and carry me
Calling to his lover to take him on a romantic journey
To that honeysuckle heaven you hold
Describing his lover's embrace as a sweet and heavenly experience
Get lost in the feel of forever
Wanting to be lost in their love forever
And don't let it go
Promising to hold onto their love
We can sway to the sound of the river
Enjoying nature as they dance to the rhythm of the river
Scream every note at the top of our lungs
Singing loud and proud their love for each other
Oh yeah, don't it come so natural baby, this easy love
Noticing how easy and natural their love is
How your tan lines shine, I can never resist
Complimenting his girl's beautiful tan lines
Still feels like the first every time we kissed
Reminiscing on the passion and excitement they felt during their first kiss
How your long brown hair flying 'round to the beat
Appreciating his lover's movement while dancing
Just like we were seventeen
Feeling young again with his lover
It's an easy love
Concluding that their love is simple and sweet
Oh, it's an easy love
Affirming that their love is easy and uncomplicated
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID NAIL, LEE MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind