His approach to music is not different on purpose, it’s different with purpose. Twenty-eight years old and from Orangevale, California, Dawson grew up just outside the gates of Folsom Prison. He heard the sirens at night, and sang along to Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Arriving in Nashville in 2012, he put his unique skills to use authoring songs for other artists. When it came time to put together his own debut album, he teamed with equally daring producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne). Having co-written every track, the result is a mix of organic roots and high-voltage country, full of romance and delivered with a distinctive saw-toothed vocal. As he gets ready to join Maren Morris’ Hero Tour this year, Dawson is already establishing a reputation in Nashville as one of the most exciting modern singer-songwriters the format has ever seen.
The Difference
Devin Dawson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm over dodging this crush
I′m sick of waiting 10 minutes just to text you back
So you don't get to thinking that I'm too attached
Too more than benefit friends
More than just a weekend binge
I want you to be my hottie riding shotty
I don′t want nobody′s body but your body, babe
There′s a difference between "Miss you" and "I miss your face"
There's a difference in "What′s going on?"
And "Baby how was your day?"
Hell, there's a hell of a difference in saying three words
Or kinda just meaning two
There′s a difference in "Love ya" and "I love you"
And I wanna be the difference
Yeah I do
I wanna be the difference between "Hey what's up?"
And "What we gonna do tonight?"
Between yeah she's cool we hang out sometimes
And that girl right there she′s mine
Between leading you on and holding your hand
Sitting it out and girl let′s dance
Playing it safe and taking a chance
Yeah pumping the brakes and hitting the gas
There's a difference between "Miss you" and "I miss your face"
There′s a difference in "What's going on?"
And "Baby how was your day?"
Hell, there′s a hell of a difference in saying three words
Or kinda just meaning two
There's a difference in "Love ya" and "I love you"
And I wanna be the difference
Close the distance
And be that puzzle piece you didn′t even know you was missing baby
Oh I'mma be the difference
Ah yeah, I'mma be the difference
′Cause there′s a difference between "Miss you" and "I miss your face"
There's a difference in "What′s going on?"
And "Baby how was your day?"
Hell, there's a hell of a difference in saying three words
Or kinda just meaning two
There′s a difference in "Love ya" and "I love you"
And I wanna be the difference oh yeah
I wanna be the difference
'Cause there′s a difference between "Miss you" and "I miss your face"
And I wanna be the difference
In "The Difference", Devin Dawson is expressing his desire to take his relationship with the person he is singing to, to the next level. He is tired of playing it safe and wants to be more than just friends who occasionally hang out. He wants to be their "hottie riding shotty" and he doesn't want anyone else's body but theirs. He differentiates between the simple yet significant differences in the things we say and do in relationships. Saying "Miss you" and "I miss your face" may seem to mean the same thing, but he recognizes that there is a difference in the impact these words can have on someone. Similarly, asking "What's going on?" and "Baby how was your day?" may seem like the same question, but the latter is a more intimate question as it implies that he cares about their daily life.
Dawson emphasizes that he wants to be the difference, the one to go against the norm and make a real effort to connect with his special someone. He wants to be the one to close the distance and bring them together. By doing so, he hopes to become the missing piece in their partner's life that they didn't even know they were missing.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m tired of sleeping on us
I am no longer willing to overlook the potential of our relationship
I’m over dodging this crush
I am tired of trying to hide my feelings for you
I’m sick of waiting 10 minutes just to text you back So you don’t get to thinking that I’m too attached
I am tired of playing games and pretending like I am not interested in you
Too more than benefit friends
I want more than just a casual friendship with you
More than just a weekend binge
I want a deeper and more meaningful relationship with you
I want you to be my hottie riding shotty
I want you to be my partner and ride shotgun with me
I don’t want nobody’s body but your body, babe
I don't want to be physical with anyone else but you
There’s a difference between 'Miss you' and 'I miss your face'
There is a difference between missing someone's presence and specifically missing their face
There’s a difference in 'What’s going on?' And 'Baby how was your day?'
There is a difference between asking someone about their day and genuinely caring about their well-being
Hell, there’s a hell of a difference in saying three words Or kinda just meaning two
There is a big difference between saying 'I love you' and only hinting at it
There’s a difference in 'Love ya' and 'I love you'
There is a difference between saying 'Love ya' casually and expressing true love
I wanna be the difference
I want to show you the real and meaningful version of these phrases
I wanna be the difference between 'Hey what’s up?' And 'What we gonna do tonight?'
I want to take our conversations beyond small talk and plan more exciting and meaningful things to do together
Between yeah she’s cool we hang out sometimes And that girl right there she’s mine
I want to make it clear to everyone that you are more than just a casual acquaintance and you are mine
Between leading you on and holding your hand Sitting it out and girl let’s dance
I want to show you that I am committed to you and willing to take chances and make memories with you
Playing it safe and taking a chance Yeah pumping the brakes and hitting the gas
I want to take risks and move forward in our relationship instead of holding back and playing it safe
Close the distance And be that puzzle piece you didn’t even know you was missing baby
I want to bridge the gap between us and complete the missing piece in your life
Oh I’ma be the difference
I am determined to show you the real and true version of love and commitment
There’s a difference between 'Miss you' and 'I miss your face'
Repeating for emphasis: There is a difference between missing someone's presence and specifically missing their face
And I wanna be the difference oh yeah
I am committed to being the difference between shallow, casual connections and true, meaningful love
I wanna be the difference
Repeating for emphasis: I want to show you the real and meaningful version of these phrases
’Cause there’s a difference between 'Miss you' and 'I miss your face'
Repeating for emphasis: There is a difference between missing someone's presence and specifically missing their face
And I wanna be the difference
Repeating for emphasis: I am committed to being the difference between shallow, casual connections and true, meaningful love
Writer(s): Rhett Akins, Benjamin David Burgess, Devin Dawson, Jacob Robert Durrett
Contributed by Adeline D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.