Often times, Nashville goes to great lengths to sell you on how ‘real’ an artist is. Sometimes they’re not quite as genuine as they are advertised to be…but then again, sometimes they really are.
When you see husband & wife duo Joey+Rory, you don’t need to be told that what they have is genuine. Just listen to their music or listen to them talk and you can tell that what they have is the real deal…not just as a musical duo, but as a couple. The deep connection they have doesn’t just shine through their music, it’s the reason their music shines.
Which is why their newest album, aptly titled Album Number Two, wasn’t born from the success of their 2008 debut. It’s actually the result of a night in Nashville ten years ago, when a gorgeously gifted singer named Joey walked into an ‘In The Round’ songwriters performance. Between finding her seat and the end of the show, she felt drawn to the man onstage simply through his songs. While she wasn’t able to meet him that night, she did two years later and over a cup of coffee, she told the songwriting single-dad exactly how she felt. A few short months later, she wasn’t just a singer named Joey anymore. She was Mrs. Rory Feek.
For the next 5 years, Joey and Rory lived a simple but glorious life reveling in their roles as husband & wife on the farm where they reside in Pottsville, TN. Joey fell right into place as Mom to Rory’s two daughters as she continued her quest for a solo career, eventually recording an album for Sony that was never released. Rory continued to build his status as a hit songwriter punching out chart-topping songs like Blake Shelton’s “Some Beach,” Clay Walker’s “The Chain of Love,” and most recently Easton Corbin’s #1 hit “A Little More Country Than That” along with cuts by Kenny Chesney, Randy Travis, Collin Raye, Reba and many others.
But in 2008, their quiet life changed after they reluctantly auditioned for a reality TV show, CMT’s Can You Duet Season I, at the urging of a co-writer.
“There was not an ounce of me that thought ‘Here is this beautiful woman and great singer in Joey, but throwing in her 42-year-old, overall-wearing husband will be the magic combination,’” Rory says with a laugh. But it was magic. Joey+Rory became fan favorites ultimately finishing 3rd and landing a record deal with Vanguard / Sugar Hill Records.
Their debut album The Life Of A Song quickly spawned a Top 30 hit with “Cheater Cheater” and in the blink of an eye, the duo was everywhere…touring coast-to-coast and overseas. Their success with radio/video airplay and album sales propelled them into several nominations for both industry and fan-voted awards, including winning the 2010 ACM Award for Top New Vocal Duo.
The quick success was not something the couple anticipated, as they hadn’t thought of their life together as extraordinarily compelling. Fans across the country thought differently. “The response to the first album has been amazing,” reflects Joey, “Now, I can’t wait for them to hear our new record.”
Album Number Two is built in much the same manner as The Life Of A Song not because it was a successful formula, but because those are the kind of songs these two like to hear. According to Rory, while he has had success writing songs for other artists, teaming up with Joey has allowed him the freedom to become a different kind of songwriter. At the same time, the pairing has unleashed Joey’s full potential as a singer as well.
“As a songwriter you have to imagine being somebody different every time you write a song, but the magic of being an artist is you get to be you, to write what you want to say…and I have never had the chance to do that before. I’m not sure Joey ever got to be herself either because there were always teams of people telling her how to dress, not to sing about this and so on. There is none of that anymore. We are 100% ourselves here.”
That freedom is paying off in spades for them. Rory is quick to point out that most of the decisions are led by Joey. In his eyes, “This is her dream,” he says, “I just get the best seat in the house to watch it happen!” As much as they are a duo both onstage and in life, he’s happy to be the man standing just outside the spotlight so that the world can focus on his songbird of a wife.
Led primarily by Joey’s honey-laden vocals, Album Number Two covers all the bases from their signature tongue-in-cheek style of the title cut to “That’s Important To Me,” a song that encapsulates the down-to-earth values that define Joey+Rory both as a couple and a duo alike. There are songs about love (“Born To Be Your Woman”), about cheating (“God Help My Man”), and about faith (“Where Jesus Is”). Songs about cowboys (“All You Need Is Me”), horses (“The Horse Nobody Could Ride”), and about fame (“Farm To Fame”). Most striking however, is the album’s lead single, a working man’s anthem and a tip of the hat to country music fans and concert-goers, “This Song’s For You” featuring the Zac Brown Band that Rory wrote on a tour bus with Zac Brown.
Not all of the songs on Album Number Two are newly written, which ironically is another product of having been turned loose of any inhibitions or corporate direction. A prime example is “My Ol’ Man,” a song resurrected from Rory’s files that is so powerful it punches you in the heart with little more than bare-knuckle lyrics and a lush piano.
Through a mixture of traditional country flavor and new millennium marketing, including corporate sponsorships, reality TV and a national ad campaign with Overstock.com, Joey+Rory have built an impressive fan base and won CMA & ACM nominations and awards their own way.
“TV exposure is unique,” notes Joey. “Not only do people hear our voices, they get to look into our eyes and see who we really are, on a deeper level. A lot of our fan base comes from people who seem to relate to our story and how we interact.
“It’s such a blessing to get to play music and travel and see things we’ve never been able to see before. But the highlight of it all is being able to do it together.”
With Album Number Two tucked firmly under their arms, Joey+Rory are headed out with the same intent they had the first time around.
“Our plan is the same as it’s always been - to show up, do what we do and hope that magic will happen,” says Rory. “As hard as we work, we ultimately know that God’s plans are a lot bigger and better than we can make ourselves. Just having the chance to record and release ALBUM NUMBER TWO is proof of that!”
Free Bird
Joey + Rory Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you remember me?
I must be travelling on, now
There's places I've got to see
If I stayed here with you, love
It wouldn't be the same
I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird you can't change
This bird you can't change
Bye, babe, its been a sweet love
This feeling I can't change
Please don't take it badly
Lord knows I'm to blame
If I stayed here with you love
It wouldn't be the same
I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird you'll never change
This bird you can't change
Lord knows, I can't change
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
The lyrics of Joey + Rory's song "Free Bird" are about a man who is restless and feels like he needs to leave to see the world. He knows that if he stays with his love, things wouldn't be the same. He uses a bird as a metaphor for his own freedom, saying that he is as free as a bird and can't be changed or tied down. He is asking his love if she would remember him if he were to leave tomorrow.
The song is bittersweet, as the man acknowledges that leaving his love will be hard, but he feels the need to explore and be on his own. He asks his love not to take it badly and assures her that he knows he is to blame for the situation. He ends by asking if she would still remember him if he were to leave tomorrow, showing that even though he is leaving, he still cares about her and their relationship.
Overall, "Free Bird" is a relatable song about the desire for freedom and exploration, even if it means leaving behind the people we love. It's a reminder that while our desires may take us away from those we care about, they will always be a part of us.
Line by Line Meaning
If I leave here tomorrow
If I were to depart from our current situation and location tomorrow
Would you remember me?
Would my memory and presence still be with you, even if I were not physically present?
I must be travelling on, now
It is necessary for me to move forward and continue my journey
There's places I've got to see
There are destinations and experiences that I must encounter on my journey
If I stayed here with you, love
If I were to remain in this current situation with you, my dear
It wouldn't be the same
Our circumstances and relationship would be altered or different in some way
I'm as free as a bird now
I am experiencing a sense of liberation and independence, much like a bird in flight
And this bird you can't change
This newfound freedom and direction cannot be altered or affected by external factors
This bird you can't change
Emphasis on the previous line, that this free and independent state will not be affected by others
Bye, babe, its been a sweet love
Farewell, my love, we have had a wonderful time together
This feeling I can't change
Despite any emotional attachments, my sense of freedom and need to continue my journey remains unchanged
Please don't take it badly
I hope you can understand and accept my need to move on, without feeling hurt or angry
Lord knows I'm to blame
I take responsibility for any pain or sadness caused by my departure
This bird you'll never change
Emphasis on the previous line, that my liberated state will persist despite any attempts to alter it
This bird you can't change
Reiteration of the idea that my newfound freedom and direction cannot be impacted by external factors
Lord knows, I can't change
I am unable to change my current state of mind and need to continue on my journey
If I leave here tomorrow
Closing reiteration of the initial idea of departing from the current situation and location
Would you still remember me?
Closing reiteration of the question of whether my memory and presence would persist, even if physically absent
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALLEN COLLINS, RONNIE VAN ZANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind