James Wesley puts those core values into his music with a whiskey-smooth voice and a timelessly winning way with a great country song. Wesley sings directly to real people about real things that profoundly affect real lives—and from his small-town upbringing to his blue-collar work ethic, he has a deep understanding of what those folks are longing to hear.
"I know there's more people out there than just me who want to hear something that grabs you and makes you go, 'Wow, that's me—that's how I feel, that's my day, that's my family,'" he says. "When you swing a hammer every day, when you're out there doing what you have to do, you learn a lot of compassion for the people that do it day in and day out."
Wesley grew up in tiny Mound Valley, a community of about 200 people in Southeastern Kansas. He first discovered country music via his grandmother's record collection, which included heaping helpings of classic crooners like Marty Robbins, George Jones and Ray Price. "We'd go over there on the weekends," he recalls. "She'd have the console set up and the records stacked up and we'd listen to them as they dropped. Those guys back then, they could sing. I thought, 'That's what I want to do.'"
His mother was the first to notice Wesley's own talent for singing when she overheard him belting out his favorite songs behind his bedroom door. "I thought if I shut my door I blocked everybody out, but evidently I didn't block Mom out," he says with a chuckle. "She heard me and said, 'I'd love to have you sing in church.' So that's what I did." Soon he taught himself to play guitar on an old Stella practice model. "I've got it to this day," he says. "You can still see where I wore down the D, C and G chords on the fretboard."
By his late teens he was singing in local nightclubs and beginning to think about making music his life. "I'd sit in my bedroom and stare out of the window and dream of being out there, getting to see the world," he remembers. His first move in that direction was to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he performed in a nightly music and variety show.
There he met his wife, Mindee, with whom he now has two young children—and finally set his sights on Nashville. "I could have stayed in Eureka Springs for the rest of my life, but I just had to chase the dream," he says. "I had to follow my gut." He and Mindee sold their house and almost everything in it, rented a moving truck and headed for Music City. Once there, Wesley took a construction job to make ends meet and began learning the ropes of the Nashville music business. He met hit songwriter Rodney Clawson and producer Dan Frizsell, and the three began recording together.
Their work caught the attention of Broken Bow Records, which signed Wesley in December and quickly released the very first song on his original demo, "Jackson Hole," as his debut single. The tune (penned by Clawson and Monty Criswell) immediately began racing up the charts, driven by listeners who loved its vivid story of fleeting love in a snowy setting. "Jackson Hole" offered fans an upfront introduction to the more vulnerable aspects of Wesley's personality. "Growing up with three sisters, I've got a sensitive side too," he says with a smile. "But I'm proud that I have that side, that I'm not callous. The only thing calloused about me is my hands."
The breakout success of "Jackson Hole" instantly validated the enormous risk Wesley took in uprooting his family from Eureka Springs for an uncertain future in Nashville was worth it. "My family has seen all the ups and downs," he says. "There's been a lot of hard work. There's been times it wasn't easy, and they've been there the whole time. They're great." It also meant that Wesley's days of construction work were over. "Thank God I get to put the hammer down, at least for a while," he says with a laugh. "It's nice to be able to do what I love to do."
James Wesley hopes to do what he loves to do for a long time to come. "I want to be in it for the long haul," he says. "I want to do those songs that everybody wants to hear, and that everybody can feel. I want to be the guy who tells the stories, and tells it like it is."
The You I Wanna Know
James Wesley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
TELL ME BOUT YOUR TATOO
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MALIBU
WHEN YOU WALK ON THE BEACH DO YOU GO BARE FEET OR TENNIS SHOES
WHAT TIME DO YOU GO TO BED
WHAT SONG'S PLAYIN IN YOUR HEAD
GIRL TELL ME SOMETHING YOU AIN'T TOLD NOBODY YET
THAT'S THE YOU I WANNA KNOW BETTER
WANNA SPEND SOME MORE TIME TOGETHER
WHAT YA DOIN TONIGHT, THINKIN WE MIGHT
TAKE A LITTLE DRIVE AND TASTE A LITTLE MOONLIGHT
WHY AINT YOU LEFT THIS LITTLE TOWN YET
WHAT'S GOIN ON IN YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEAD
TELL ME BOUT THE GIRL THAT WANTS TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES
THAT'S THE YOU I WANNA KNOW
DO YOU PARTY ON FRIDAY NIGHT
DO YOU PRAY AT SUPPERTIME
WOULD YOU BE OPPOSED TO SIPPIN LITTLE BIT OF THIS RED WINE RED WINE
ARE SITTIN IN THE FRONT SEAT WONDERIN WHERE THIS DIRT ROAD LEADS
BABY IF YOU WANNA SEE
SLIDE UP NEXT TO ME
The lyrics of James Wesley's "The You I Wanna Know" depict a person expressing their curiosity and desire to get to know someone on a deeper level. The song begins with the singer asking the person about their tattoo, implying a desire to understand their personal stories and experiences. They inquire about whether the person has been to Malibu, highlighting a longing to know about their adventures and experiences outside of their current environment. The question regarding walking on the beach with bare feet or tennis shoes showcases a desire to understand the person's preferences and habits.
The lyrics then transition to the singer wanting to know more about the person's inner thoughts and desires. They ask about the time the person goes to bed, perhaps suggesting a curiosity about their daily routine and the moments they might spend alone. The mention of a song playing in their head symbolizes the singer's desire to connect with the person on an emotional level, wanting to know their thoughts and feelings. The singer explicitly expresses their wish for the person to reveal something they haven't shared with anyone before, illustrating a desire for intimacy and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
TELL ME BOUT YOUR TATOO
Share the story behind your tattoo with me.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MALIBU
Have you had the chance to visit Malibu before?
WHEN YOU WALK ON THE BEACH DO YOU GO BARE FEET OR TENNIS SHOES
Do you prefer walking barefoot or wearing tennis shoes when you walk on the beach?
WHAT TIME DO YOU GO TO BED
At what time do you typically go to sleep?
WHAT SONG'S PLAYIN IN YOUR HEAD
Which song is currently playing in your mind?
GIRL TELL ME SOMETHING YOU AIN'T TOLD NOBODY YET
Confide in me with something that you haven't shared with anyone else yet.
THAT'S THE YOU I WANNA KNOW BETTER
I'm interested in getting to know the real and deeper side of you.
WANNA SPEND SOME MORE TIME TOGETHER
I desire to spend additional time in your company.
WHAT YA DOIN TONIGHT, THINKIN WE MIGHT
What are your plans for tonight? I'm considering the possibility of doing something together.
TAKE A LITTLE DRIVE AND TASTE A LITTLE MOONLIGHT
Let's go for a short drive and enjoy the ambiance of the moonlight.
WHY AINT YOU LEFT THIS LITTLE TOWN YET
What is the reason you haven't left this small town yet?
WHAT'S GOIN ON IN YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEAD
I'm curious about what thoughts and emotions are occupying your mind.
TELL ME BOUT THE GIRL THAT WANTS TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES
Share information about the girl who is interested in exploring the potential of our relationship.
THAT'S THE YOU I WANNA KNOW
That's the true essence of your personality that I'm eager to discover and understand.
DO YOU PARTY ON FRIDAY NIGHT
Do you enjoy partying on Friday nights?
DO YOU PRAY AT SUPPERTIME
Do you engage in prayer during your mealtime?
WOULD YOU BE OPPOSED TO SIPPIN LITTLE BIT OF THIS RED WINE RED WINE
Would you mind having a taste of this red wine?
ARE SITTIN IN THE FRONT SEAT WONDERIN WHERE THIS DIRT ROAD LEADS
Are you sitting in the front seat, contemplating where this dirt road will take us?
BABY IF YOU WANNA SEE
Sweetheart, if you're interested in finding out
SLIDE UP NEXT TO ME
Come closer and sit beside me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: James Wesley, Tim James, WADE KIRBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind