This memory only marks one of the upbeat mid-westerner’s childhood performances. “I’ve loved performing from a very early age. I performed to “Thriller” and “Men in Black” at my elementary school talent show. My mom would make up choreography to go along with the songs. It was great,” recalls Baldridge. “I would take to the dance floor at wedding reception even if no one was dancing just to be able to perform in front of people. That’s when I learned how to win over a crowd. They would all be applauding by the end of the song,” says Drew with a smile.
Standing at 6’1", Drew grew up playing basketball and baseball, but would perform the “National Anthem” at all his games. “The high school I went to was too small for a band, but no one thought anything of me being a jock and a singer. I used any and every outlet I could to share my passion with others. The openly Christian teenager joined a quartet at church singing bass while his father sang tenor. Later on he began playing acoustic gigs at a nearby bar on Saturday nights. “My Dad stood by me and my preacher told me Jesus didn’t just preach in church, and I could be that light through my music.”
“It made perfect sense to become a country artist. I like to tell stories, and singing about where I come from,” explains Baldridge. He recalls his father buying a Dodge Intrepid when he was five years old and the owner threw in a cassette tape with the deal. “Alabama’s ‘Born Country’ was the first country song I fell in love with. We played that cassette over and over. The song rang true to me because my grandpa’s childhood home was just down the road, where the house that his father built by hand still stands.” Four generations of Baldridge’s family have lived and farmed that land in rural Illinois.
“If you have to describe my music in 3 words, I would have to say it’s fun, real, and positive,” says the singer/songwriter. “I love what Keith Urban says about creating music; ‘We don’t make music to impress, but to inspire.’ I truly believe that you know.” One of his favorite songs he recently worked on is “God’s Front Porch,” which was released on Easter of this year and is featured on Crossing County Lines Vol. II. “What a blessing it would be to be in the presence of the Lord on his front porch.”
In 2013, Drew signed with THiS Music, joining the ranks of Nashville’s most prominent and prolific songwriters. He went on to release his debut EP, All Good and his singles “BYOB” and “She’s Taken” became Midwestern radio staples. His new music project, Crossing County Lines is being released in three installments throughout 2015. The first volume was released this past December and debuted at #15 on the iTunes Country Chart. CCL Vol. II released April 7.
Known as much as a performer as a singer, Drew brings a rousing, energy-packed show to every opening or headlining date. “I am so very excited for my fans and future fans to hear my song ‘Dance With Ya.’ I went into the songwriting session with this melody in my head, and I said I want something that I could dance to. That’s what we created,” says Baldridge. The tune features a horn section, hypnotic chorus and topped off with Drew’s signature dance moves, “Dance With Ya” is destined to be a crowd-pleaser.
“I want to build my career the way Eric Church built his. He has an incredible fan base that he gained out on the road, which is similar to what we are doing. “Team work makes the dream work’ is the motto me and my band go by.” Catch up-and-comer Drew Baldridge and his band on the road in a city near you.
When I Fall
Drew Baldridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah I fall, like a house dropped out of a tornado
You're like gravity, pulling me so fast and free
I don't see no net below, don't let go
When you jump I jump
When you run I run
I don't care how high
In the air with you
There's no parachute
When I fall, when I fall, when I fall with you
Yeah girl I'm going down, all you gotta do
Is call, when you call, you're a wrecking ball
And I, a wall when I fall
I shatter like glass in a hailstorm
When I crash there's no brakes on my heart
I can't slow it down, and I don't really want to
Like the sun can't stop, it has to drop
From every sky, it's out of my control with you
And I'm dropping too
When you jump I jump
When you run I run
When you fly I fly
I don't care how high
In the air with you
There's no parachute
When I fall, when I fall, when I fall with you
Yeah girl I'm going down, all you gotta do
Is call, when you call, you're a wrecking ball
And I, a wall when I fall
You're like gravity, pulling me so fast and free
I don't see no net below, girl don't let go
When you jump I jump
When you run I run
When you fly I fly
I don't care how high
In the air with you
There's no parachute
When I fall, when I fall, when I fall with you
Yeah girl I'm going down, all you gotta do
Is call, when you call, you're a wrecking ball
And I, a wall when I fall
(When I fall, when I fall
When I fall, when I fall)
The lyrics of Drew Baldridge's "When I Fall" talks about falling deeply in love with someone, and the accompanying risk of getting hurt or losing oneself. In the first verse, the singer compares his falling to a brick out of a window and a house out of a tornado to illustrate his lack of control over his intense emotions. He compares the love interest to gravity, which is pulling him with strong and irresistible force.
The chorus reiterates the idea that he's willing to follow her anywhere, even if there's no safety net. He's ready to jump whenever she jumps, run whenever she runs, and fly whenever she flies. Their love is like free-falling in the air with no parachute, and he's willing to take that risk as long as she's there. The love interest is the wrecking ball that breaks down his walls, leaving him vulnerable to the possibility of getting hurt.
In the second verse, the singer describes how he shatters like glass in a hailstorm when his heart crashes, and there are no brakes to stop it. He's willing to lose control and fall with her because he doesn't want to slow down or lose the passion she's ignited in him. The love interest is once again compared to gravity in the bridge, underscoring the unstoppable and overwhelming feeling.
Overall, the song beautifully portrays the feeling of falling in love, and the accompanying risks and vulnerability that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
When I fall, I fall like a brick out a window
I fall hard and fast without any control
Yeah I fall, like a house dropped out of a tornado
I fall with force and destruction
You're like gravity, pulling me so fast and free
You have a powerful and unavoidable influence on me
I don't see no net below, don't let go
I don't have any safety and I'm relying on you to hold me
When you jump I jump
I follow your lead completely
When you run I run
I mirror your actions completely
When you fly I fly
I soar with you without fear
I don't care how high
I'm willing to go to extreme heights for you
In the air with you
I'm in a place of pure bliss with you
There's no parachute
I don't have any backup plan if things go wrong
When I fall, when I fall, when I fall with you
When we're together, I'm taking a risk that I may not be able to handle
Yeah girl I'm going down, all you gotta do
My downfall is inevitable with you
Is call, when you call, you're a wrecking ball
You have the power to completely destroy me
And I, a wall when I fall
I'm normally strong and steady, but I crumble when I'm with you
I shatter like glass in a hailstorm
I can't handle the intensity of my emotions when I'm with you
When I crash there's no brakes on my heart
I fall without any hope of stopping myself
I can't slow it down, and I don't really want to
I'm too consumed by my love for you to hold back
Like the sun can't stop, it has to drop
Just like the sun sets everyday, my fate is to fall for you
From every sky, it's out of my control with you
I can't help the way I feel about you
And I'm dropping too
I'm falling with you, willingly and fearlessly
(When I fall, when I fall
When I fall, when I fall)
Repeating the chorus to further emphasize the message
Writer(s): Shane Lamar Mc Anally, Josh Osborne, Matthew Thomas Ramsey
Contributed by Sophie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.