According to the The Impossible Songfacts, the Kelley Lovelace and Lee Thomas Miller penned mid-tempo ballad was released in March 2002 as the first single from his second album, man With a Memory . It became his first hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Country chart and #29 on the Hot 100. Nichols recalled to The Boot in a 2011 interview: "'The Impossible' was huge for me for a number of different reasons. It was my introduction to Country music. It was the first thing everybody saw of me, this brand new guy with this voice. I heard a lot of people say when they met me, 'Wow! We just pictured somebody a lot older, because it's a really country-sounding voice.' So, it was my introduction. It got people familiar with me."
Footlights
Joe Nichols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Most men only dream of
I make my livin' writing songs
And singin' them
But I'm 31 years old
And I ain't got no place to go, when it's over
So I'll hide my age and make the stage tonight
Try to kick the footlights out again
I'll throw my old guitar
Across the stage and then my bass man takes a bone
And the crowd goes nearly wild
To see my guitar nearly fall
After 20 years of pickin'
I'm still alive and kickin' down the walls
And tonight I'll kick the footlights out and
Walk away without a curtain call
Yea tonight I'm gonna kick the footlights out again
And I'll try to hide the mood I'm really in
Might not put on my old instamatic grin
Yea tonight I'm gonna kick the footlights out again
And again
I live the kinda life
Most men only dream of
I make my livin' writing songs
And singin' them
But I'm 30 some years old
And I ain't got no place to go, when it's over
So I'll hide my age and make the stage tonight
Try to kick the footlights out again
In Joe Nichols's "Footlights," the singer describes his reality as a successful songwriter and musician living a life that most men only dream of. However, at 31 years old, he feels a pressure to continue performing and creating new music, fearing that his success could come to an end at any moment. He doesn't have a place to go after his career is over, so he hides his age and performs as if he's just starting out. He talks about throwing his old guitar across the stage, and the crowd reacts excitedly, loving the effect. He's still alive and kicking down walls after 20 years of being in the industry. The song ends with the singer making a vow to kick the footlights out again, hiding the mood he's really in and pressing forward with his music, despite the unknown future.
Line by Line Meaning
I live the kinda life
I have a life that most men can only dream of
Most men only dream of
My lifestyle is unique and desirable
I make my livin' writing songs
I earn a living as a songwriter
And singin' them
And as a singer
But I'm 31 years old
However, I am already 31 years old
And I ain't got no place to go, when it's over
And I don't know what to do once my career is over
So I'll hide my age and make the stage tonight
Therefore, I'll conceal my age and do my best performance tonight
Try to kick the footlights out again
I'll try to give a memorable, enthusiastic performance
I'll throw my old guitar
I will throw my old guitar
Across the stage and then my bass man takes a bone
My bassist will follow with an action to entertain the crowd
And the crowd goes nearly wild
And the audience gets ecstatic
To see my guitar nearly fall
Because it looks like my guitar is almost falling off the stage
After 20 years of pickin'
Despite playing for 20 years
I'm still alive and kickin' down the walls
I'm still rocking like I'm unstoppable
And tonight I'll kick the footlights out and
And tonight, I'll give an excellent performance again
Walk away without a curtain call
And leave the stage without waiting for an encore
Yea tonight I'm gonna kick the footlights out again
Yes, tonight I will try to give my best performance
And I'll try to hide the mood I'm really in
I'll conceal my true emotions while performing
Might not put on my old instamatic grin
I might not wear my usual smile while performing
And again
And I'll do it all again
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MERLE HAGGARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind