Known as “ the hardest working band in country music,” it was not uncommon for the band to play over 300 shows a year, without a bus, without a driver, without tour support from a label. They simply made it on their own, and that seasoning shows up even today.
Their first radio release, “Some Guys Have All The Love,” became a top ten hit, as did their next single, “First Time For Everything.” The only problem was, with two top ten singles, the band still didn’t have a full album in the can. “Our label wasn’t really sure about us from the beginning,” said bassist Duane Propes. “Who could blame them? At that time there had never been a country act that young signed to a label. There was no individual artist of that age, and of course, no bands like Little Texas that really looked and performed like a rock act. We wound up jumping in the studio during a small break in our schedule and hammering out the first album in a matter of days.”
After the album First Time For Everything was released, five singles reached the top of the charts. The second album, Big Time, truly was the big time for Little Texas, as it spawned three number 1 singles with “What Might Have Been,” “God Blessed Texas” and “My Love,” capturing the very first CMT award, a Billboard award, a Radio & Records award and a Grammy nomination, and to date has sold over three million copies.
Soon, they signed on as an opening act on an arena tour headlined by Clint Black. Later, they traveled with Travis Tritt and Tricia Yearwood on a tour sponsored by Budweiser. After that, they were on their own, singing to packed arenas across the United States and Canada. During this time, the band played a part in Common Thread: A Tribute To The Eagles, which later earned their first CMA Award for “Album Of The Year.” Their cover of “Peaceful Easy Feeling” charted well albeit without an official release, and with that, Little Texas broke another record in country music history: 3 different songs on 3 different charts with 3 different lead singers, all at the same time; a feat that has never been repeated since by any band. The year 1994 also brought them the ACM Award for “Vocal Group of the Year.”
Little Texas released the album Kick A Little, and their first true headlining arena tour began, supported by Tim McGraw and opening act, BlackHawk. The tour and the album were huge successes, highlighted by shows in Detroit and Minneapolis fully selling out the arenas just days after their heroes, The Eagles, had played the same venues. The tour continued on through 1995, finishing as the fifth largest grossing tour of the year, and over the course of ’94 and ‘95 the band received two more Grammy nominations and released Little Texas – Greatest Hits.
After the self-titled album, Little Texas, was released, Little Texas needed a break. At the end of the year, each member went their separate ways, spending time with family and friends and working on individual projects. Propes says, “At that point it was time for our loved ones to have us back for a while. It all happened for a reason.” But now, Little Texas is back.
With a fresh perspective, the band is on the road again with original members Porter Howell (lead vocals & lead guitar), Dwayne O'Brien (vocals and rhythm guitars), Duane Propes (bass & vocals) and Del Gray (drums), selling out shows and creating new music that can only be described as inspired. Little Texas recently signed a new recording contract with the Montage Music Group, and will have a new studio album out in Spring 2007, a new single in February of 2007 (Title Track: "Missing Years"), and a live Greatest Hits album (Live & Loud) will be released on February 20th, 2007.
The sound is blissfully familiar, the stage shows are electric, and one can only say that America’s favorite rockin’ country band, Little Texas, is poised for a return to prominence with their feet firmly planted on the ground, loud and proud.
Inside
Little Texas Lyrics
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There's an old country church
A stranger who just passes by
Will never know it's worth
But you can walk in any Sunday
And it'll open up your eyes
So much love is in there waiting
A man out on the street knows more
Than we will ever learn
About how cold the world can be
And how our backs can turn
You can walk right up and ask him
What went wrong with his life
But you'll never know the answer
Until you look inside
Inside all of us
There's a good no one sees
Outside we may not show it
But it can bring us to our knees
When we realize what's been missin'
Has been there all the time
We have never seen it
'Cause we've never looked inside
Sometimes I may seem distant
Like I'm not really there
You see a wall around me
And you think that I don't care
But my love for you runs deeper
Than words can describe
My heart is always open
Just take a look inside
Inside all of us
There's good no one sees
Outside we may not show it
But it can bring us to our knees
When we realize what's been missin'
Has been there all the time
We have never seen it
'Cause we've never looked inside
We will never see it
Until we look inside
The lyrics of "Inside" by Little Texas are a profound reflection on humanity and the challenge of understanding our inner selves despite the external displays of emotions. The song begins by describing a country church which seems ordinary from the outside but is full of love and compassion on the inside. The lyrics suggest that sometimes we need to look deeper than the surface, to find what truly matters. The second verse takes a deeper dive in a discussion of the world and how cruel and cold it can be at times. The singer recognizes that the homeless man on the street may know more about the struggles of life than any educated person, yet we often don't take the time to ask or understand. The verse ends with the realization that we need to probe beyond the surface to find meaning and truth.
The choruses of the song reinforce the idea that inside all of us is a good that the world may not see. It is up to us as individuals to delve deeper and connect with ourselves and others. The last verse turns more personal as the singer explains that sometimes he may appear distant from the outside, but his love for those around him is deep and always present. The message of the song is one of introspection, reflection, and the need for empathy and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Down a winding gravel road
The song starts with a metaphor of a road that could refer to this difficult journey we call life
There's an old country church
The old country church is another metaphor that refers to the real values and beliefs that we all carry inside of us.
A stranger who just passes by
Will never know it's worth
The singer here implies that nobody can understand the real value of these virtues from an outer appearance, but it needs a closer look.
But you can walk in any Sunday
And it'll open up your eyes
So much love is in there waiting
But you have to look inside
Just like the old country church, the singer suggests that we can also find love and happiness inside ourselves, but we have to look for it with open eyes.
A man out on the street knows more
Than we will ever learn
About how cold the world can be
And how our backs can turn
The singer suggests that people who struggle on the street are often misunderstood and may carry a valuable life lesson that nobody can learn in any school.
You can walk right up and ask him
What went wrong with his life
But you'll never know the answer
Until you look inside
The singer implies that people's life stories and lessons may seem obvious, but to truly understand them, you need to know their inner world.
Inside all of us
There's a good no one sees
Outside we may not show it
But it can bring us to our knees
The song's central message, this line suggests that we all carry a secret goodness that we often don't feel comfortable sharing with others, but it can bring us to our knees in need.
When we realize what's been missin'
Has been there all the time
We have never seen it
'Cause we've never looked inside
The singer suggests that all this time, the missing piece was inside of us, but we couldn't see it because we were so focused on the outside world.
Sometimes I may seem distant
Like I'm not really there
You see a wall around me
And you think that I don't care
The singer confesses his relationship troubles as he acknowledges that other people may feel that he's not available when, in fact, he's deliberately keeping his distance to protect himself.
But my love for you runs deeper
Than words can describe
My heart is always open
Just take a look inside
The singer promises his loved one that he loves them deeply, but they should never trust his external behavior as true love is inside his heart, that they need to look for it.
We will never see it
Until we look inside
The song concludes with the singer restating the importance of looking inside to find the answers to all our questions and the missing peace that we all seek.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Fintage House Publishing
Written by: HOWELL, MURPHY, SEALS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind