Mark Chesnutt’s stature is easily gauged. He has 14 #1 hits, 23 Top 10 singles, four platinum albums and five gold records to his credit; he maintains a front-and-center presence with a hefty tour schedule year after year. Country music critics and fans alike need look no further when it comes to Country music basics. If you ask Chesnutt, he’ll tell you, “It’s the music and the fans that have kept me around this long.” In a creative forum that sometimes confuses style with substance, Mark Chesnutt possesses both.
Remaining true to himself as a traditional country artist, while keeping the pace with the ever-changing country recording landscape, Mark Chesnutt has a knack for picking great songs, delivering them with world-class style and a heart-felt emotion that’s lived-in. With a trademarked voice, Chesnutt has set the bar for his generation and those that follow in his footsteps shaping the music of today’s country music newcomers and the new country music format. Mark Chesnutt’s personal integrity combined with his principal to record a genuine country song has made him a fixture on radio and in honky tonks across the globe.
Chesnutt got his start in the honky-tonks of Beaumont, Texas, learning from his father, Bob Chesnutt, a singer, record collector and major fan of classic country music. Playing alongside his dad, Mark embraced his father’s influence one set at a time and to begin making a name for himself. Mark sang covers by Lefty, Merle, George and Waylon to develop his unmatched crowd-pleasing rapport and his authentic country style.
Bob Chesnutt often traveled to Nashville to record and to broaden his exposure. He began taking Mark along to record when he was just 17. After nearly a decade of recording on regional labels, word got out about this young country vocalist. Music Row executives came to hear Mark on his own Texas turf and recognized the depth of Mark Chesnutt’s raw talent.
In 1989, he was signed to MCA Nashville and his list of accolades tells the rest of his story. With the release of his first single“ Too Cold At Home,” Mark established himself as one of country’s most authentic and talented vocalists. He won the CMA Horizon Award attracting the attention of country legend [and Mark’s greatest mentor] George Jones who introduced him as “A boy from Beaumont, Texas who is the real deal.” That recognition and initial success opened the door to offer Mark his chance of a lifetime, to do what he loved most—sing country music for country fans; this time, on a national level. “The first couple years it was non-stop.” Mark says.
“I can remember one time during a tour, I didn’t step foot on the front porch for ten months, with exception of a day or a day-and-a- half, then, it was right back out again.” Mark’s dedication paid off. He developed a true blue fan base. Fans, he confides, “are the reason for my success.”
His fans helped his records to climb the charts one right after the other making him one of Billboard’s Ten Most-Played Radio Artists of the ‘90’s. Mark’s singles were some the decade’s most memorable; from the fun tempo “Bubba Shot The Jukebox” to emotional ballad “I’ll Think Of Something.” Mark is easily identified for his string of hits including “Brother Jukebox,” “Blame It On Texas,” “Old Flames Have New Names,” “Old Country,” “It Sure Is Monday,” “Almost Goodbye,” “I Just Wanted You To Know,” “Going Through The Big D,” “It’s A Little Too Late,” “Gonna Get A Life,” and one of his biggest, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing;” a song that held its position at the top of the charts for four consecutive weeks.
Of all the recorded highlights Chesnutt has enjoyed, they take a back seat to his first love; Mark Chesnutt lives to perform on stage. “I just make records because want people to come see my show,” he says with a grin. “Recording music for folks to just listen to music is great,” he says, “but I’ve got to be out there on stage making it.” Fans who have seen him perform agree. Known as one of the industry’s hardest-working concert performers, maintaining a hefty tour schedule and steady presence in front of his fans, Mark’s dedication to deliver live music is unsurpassed. Mark has been on the road since 1990. Whether you hear Mark Chesnutt with a new release on the radio, or see his face on the cover of a new CD, folks can always find Mark doing what he was born to do playing. “The clubs and honky tonks are home for me; it’s comfortable and I’m always with friends,” says Chesnutt.
Married since 1992, Mark and Tracie Chesnutt are the loving parents of three boys, Waylon, Casey & Cameron.
Since You Ain't Home
Mark Chesnutt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those pretty flowers that you planted when we moved in
And the paint has started peeling, down the hall, along the ceiling
Above the busted frame your picture's hangin' in
The carpet's wearin' through, where I dragged around these blues
And the curtain's torn in two, from me lookin' out for you
Once we held it all together, but I can't do it on my own
Our TV won't get no picture, there's no light-bulb in the fixture
In our bedroom where you used to love on me
All the memories that we once shared, they're all locked forever in there
'Cause I locked the door and I can't find the key
More, the carpet's wearin' through, where I dragged around these blues
And the curtain's torn in two, from me lookin' out for you
Once we held it all together, but I can't do this on my own
This old house has gone to pieces since you ain't home
This old house has gone to pieces since you ain't home
"Since You Ain't Home" is a song by Mark Chesnutt that tells the story of a man who is struggling to cope since his partner left. The lyrics paint a picture of a once beautiful home that is now neglected and falling apart, mirroring the singer's emotional state. Chesnutt's expert use of imagery and metaphor creates a powerful emotional impact on the listener.
The opening lines "Since you left I can't stay sober and I've let the grass grow over / Those pretty flowers that you planted when we moved in" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is not only struggling with addiction but also neglecting the things that were once important to him and his partner. The grass has grown over the flowers they planted together, showing how their love and care for each other has eroded.
Line by Line Meaning
Since you left I can't stay sober and I've let the grass grow over
Ever since you left, I cannot keep myself from consuming alcohol and I have become so lazy that I have allowed the lawn to become overgrown
Those pretty flowers that you planted when we moved in
Before you left, you had planted some beautiful flowers which are now neglected
And the paint has started peeling, down the hall, along the ceiling
The paint on the walls and ceiling has begun to peel which indicates neglect
Above the busted frame your picture's hangin' in
Your picture is still hanging on the wall, but its frame is damaged and broken
The carpet's wearin' through, where I dragged around these blues
The carpet is starting to wear out in places where I have been dragging my feet while feeling blue without you around
And the curtain's torn in two, from me lookin' out for you
The curtain has been torn apart as I have been waiting and constantly looking out for your return
Once we held it all together, but I can't do it on my own
We were able to keep everything in order when we were together, but now I find it impossible to manage things alone
Our TV won't get no picture, there's no light-bulb in the fixture
The television is not working properly and the light bulb in the fixture is burnt-out which adds to the sense of neglect in the home
In our bedroom where you used to love on me
In our bedroom where we used to share our love and passion together
All the memories that we once shared, they're all locked forever in there
All of the beautiful memories we had created together are now locked away in that room
'Cause I locked the door and I can't find the key
I locked the door to that room and now I cannot find the key to unlock it, resulting in the isolation of our shared memories
More, the carpet's wearin' through, where I dragged around these blues
The carpet is wearing thin in more places from my continued moping and depression
And the curtain's torn in two, from me lookin' out for you
The curtain is even more damaged from my constant longing and searching for your return
Once we held it all together, but I can't do this on my own
We were a team and could keep everything together, but now that you're gone, it's too much for me to handle alone
This old house has gone to pieces since you ain't home
Without you, this once beautiful home and everything in it has deteriorated and become a shell of what it once was
Lyrics © CUPIT MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAMP, DODSON, MELLONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind