Johnson was raised in Montgomery, Alabama. From an early age, he was influenced by country acts such as Alabama and Alan Jackson, the latter of whom he claims is the first act that he saw in concert. Johnson, after graduating high school, attended Jacksonville State University, the same university from which Alabama lead singer Randy Owen graduated.
Johnson then quit college after two years and served in the the Marine Corps Reserves for eight years. After exiting the Marines, he began playing country music in various bars throughout Montgomery; one of his first gigs was opening for David Allan Coe. By 2000, Johnson had moved to Nashville, Tennessee in pursuit of a career in country music. One of his first connections was with Greg Perkins, a fiddler who had played for Tanya Tucker and other artists. Perkins invited Johnson to sing as a duet partner on a demo tape; the other duet partner with whom he sang was Gretchen Wilson. Songs for which Johnson sang demos include "Songs About Me" (cut by Trace Adkins) and "That's How They Do It in Dixie" (cut by Hank Williams, Jr. with Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and Van Zant).
In addition, Johnson had made connections with producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon, who helped him land a songwriting contract. Among Johnson's first cuts as a songwriter was "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", which Adkins cut for his 2005 album Songs About Me and released as a single.
I Remember You
Jamey Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You could ever have in your life, is the first time you talk to God.
What would you say?
I remember you, in the pages of a book
A lady read me once, in Sunday school
I remember you, I studied every word
And I hid it in my heart, just like you told me to
And a stone was rolled away, and everybody prayed,
The day the angels sang, I remember you
And while your standing there on those trembling knees,
What do you hope God says back to you
I remember you, I was there when you were born
I held your mamma's hand, and your daddy's too
I remember you, I recall the very day
You turned against the Devil, and you cried out my name
And a stone was rolled away, and everybody prayed,
The day the angels sang, I remember you
I remember you
Jamey Johnson's song "I Remember You" is a reflective and introspective piece about the relationship between God and humans. The song begins with a question that urges listeners to ponder what they would say during their first conversation with God, which Johnson believes is one of the most important conversations one could ever have. The song's lyrics then shift to a recollection of the moments when God's presence was felt by the singer. The singer remembers hearing God's words through a preacher in Sunday school where he learned about Him and how to hide His teachings in his heart. The lyrics gain a powerful tone as Johnson sings about the day "a stone was rolled away," which is likely a reference to Jesus Christ's resurrection. In the end, the song poses another hypothetical question, what do you hope to hear when you stand before God?
The song's poignant lyrics explore the significance of religious faith in the singer's life, particularly in the moments that define one's spiritual journey. It also explores the tender moments like a parent holding a child's hand at birth, and the intense moment when someone fully commits to faith.
Line by Line Meaning
I always thought that one of the most important conversations
The author believes that talking to God for the first time is a crucial conversation in life.
You could ever have in your life, is the first time you talk to God.
First communication with God has an extraordinary value in one's life.
I remember you, in the pages of a book
The author recalls learning about God from a book.
A lady read me once, in Sunday school
The author was taught about God by a lady in Sunday school.
I remember you, I studied every word
The author carefully read and learned every word about God.
And I hid it in my heart, just like you told me to
The author internalized the teachings of God and kept them close to their heart.
And a stone was rolled away, and everybody prayed,
The author refers to the resurrection of Jesus and everyone's prayers.
The day the angels sang, I remember you
The author has not forgotten the day when angels sang about God.
And while your standing there on those trembling knees,
The author imagines a person standing on their knees and shivering in front of God.
What do you hope God says back to you
The author asks what one would wish God's response to be in such a situation.
I remember you, I was there when you were born
The author believes that God was present when the person was born.
I held your mamma's hand, and your daddy's too
The author envisions God being present during the person's birth and holding their parents' hands.
I remember you, I recall the very day
The author remembers the specific day the person chose God over the Devil.
You turned against the Devil, and you cried out my name
The author celebrates the moment when the person chose to turn away from evil and call upon God.
And a stone was rolled away, and everybody prayed,
The author recalls the resurrection and everyone's prayers again.
The day the angels sang, I remember you
The author remembers the person's decision to embrace God through angels' song.
I remember you
The author repeatedly affirms that they remember the person and their journey with God.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMEY JOHNSON, SHANE MINOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind