His second album, 2009's Carolina, produced three more singles: "Smoke a Little Smoke" and his first top 10 hits, "Love Your Love the Most" and "Hell on the Heart". 2011's Chief, his first #1 album, gave him his first two #1 singles, "Drink in My Hand" and "Springsteen", and the hits "Homeboy", "Creepin'", and "Like Jesus Does". His third #1 single was "The Only Way I Know", which he, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan recorded for Aldean's album Night Train.
A fourth album, The Outsiders, was released in February 2014. It produced five new singles between 2013 and 2015 with the title track, "Give Me Back My Hometown", "Cold One", "Talladega" and "Like a Wrecking Ball". "Talladega" and "Give Me Back My Hometown" each reached #1 on the Country Airplay chart. Eric Church got his sixth #1 hit with Keith Urban in May 2015 with the single "Raise 'Em Up". His fifth studio album, Mr. Misunderstood, was released in November 2015 and went on to produce two #1 singles with "Record Year" and "Round Here Buzz".
On July 13, 2018, Church released the first single and title track of his album Desperate Man, which was released in October 2018.
In April 2021, Church released the double album set Heart & Soul.
Sinners Like Me
Eric Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caught me half way through my first beer
He laughed so hard when my face turned green
He said "you come from a long line of sinners like me"
Now me and my brother go to see him some times
But he don't have much to say anymore
So we sit on his headstone with a fifth of Jack D.
La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
I come from a long line of sinners like me
My mama had a soft spot for a hell raisin' boy
So she had two more just like him
It takes an angel to raise a family
That comes from a long line of sinners like me
Well now maybe who knows one day I'll settle down
Give my dad a grandson of his own
And when the doctor smacks him, he's gonna take a swing
'Cause he'll come from a long line of sinners like me
La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
I come from a long line of sinners like me
On the day I die
I know where I'm gonna go
Me and Jesus got that part worked out
I'll wait at those gates till his face I see
And stand in a long line of sinners like me
Yeah, I'll stand in a long line of sinners like me
La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
I come from a long line of sinners like me
La de dah de dah
La de dah dah de de
Here's to way long line of sinners like me
I think I hear the moanin' of sinners like me
The song "Sinners Like Me" by Eric Church is about the singer's family history of being sinners and how he perceives that this trait runs in his bloodline. The song opens with an anecdote about when Eric was fifteen years old and was caught drinking beer by his grandfather, who had a good laugh at his expense, revealing that he too had been there in his youth. The chorus highlights that everyone in Eric's family is a sinner and that he is proud of his family's heritage in this sense.
The second verse of the song talks about how Eric's mother "had a soft spot for a hell raisin' boy" and, as a result, raised two more just like him. The song touches upon the notion that it takes an angel to raise a family full of sinners, and Eric seems to be appreciative of his mother's efforts. The final verse of the song takes a more somber turn as Eric talks about how, on the day he dies, he knows where he will go, and he is confident that he will stand in a line of sinners waiting for Jesus to welcome them into heaven.
The song is a heartfelt reminder to embrace our roots and accept who we are, flaws and all. Eric seems to be okay with the fact that his family has a history of sinning, and he finds solace in the fact that he is not alone in this. In conclusion, "Sinners Like Me" speaks to the idea that we are all imperfect, and that's okay – it's a part of who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
I was fifteen, my daddy's old man
At fifteen, I had my first encounter with alcohol and my grandfather found out and made fun of me
Caught me half way through my first beer
My grandfather saw me drinking beer for the first time and laughed at me
He laughed so hard when my face turned green
Grandfather laughed so much when he saw my reaction to drinking alcohol for the first time
He said "you come from a long line of sinners like me"
Grandfather hinted that our family had a history of sinning
Now me and my brother go to see him some times
My brother and I occasionally visit our grandfather these days
But he don't have much to say anymore
He doesn't communicate much anymore
So we sit on his headstone with a fifth of Jack D.
We sit and drink alcohol at his grave site
Here's to a long line of sinners like me
I propose a toast to our family's history of wrongdoing
My mama had a soft spot for a hell raisin' boy
My mother liked men who misbehaved
So she had two more just like him
So, she had two sons, who resembled their father in every way.
It takes an angel to raise a family
It requires a special person to raise children in our family legacy of sinning
That comes from a long line of sinners like me
The source of our sinful tendencies is passed down through generations of the family
Well now maybe who knows one day I'll settle down
I may one day settle down
Give my dad a grandson of his own
To give my father a grandchild
And when the doctor smacks him, he's gonna take a swing
The child will fight back when the doctor smacks him at birth, just like the family tradition
'Cause he'll come from a long line of sinners like me
The baby will be a part of a family legacy of wrongdoing, just like the rest of us.
On the day I die
On my dying day
I know where I'm gonna go
I am going to heaven
Me and Jesus got that part worked out
I am sorted with Jesus about my eternal life
I'll wait at those gates till his face I see
I'll wait outside the heavenly gates to see Jesus face to face
And stand in a long line of sinners like me
When I see Jesus, I will be one of the many sinners who will wait outside the gates
Here's to way long line of sinners like me
A long line of sinners like us deserve a toast
I think I hear the moanin' of sinners like me
I am aware of other sinners waiting with me outside those gates
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIC CHURCH, JEREMY SPILLMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind