Like Gold Chain Cowboy, it pairs Parker with producer Jon Randall (Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley), a fellow Texan who understands exactly what fuels Parker’s artistry: authenticity, vulnerability, and a little bit of defiance. Never Enough bristles with honesty and attitude and is shot through with equal parts rock guitar and country songwriting.
“What I do best is write songs from a very real place and sing country music, but also be very ‘me’ and not try to sound like someone else,” Parker says. “We definitely did that on this record and every one of the 15 songs sounds different.”
Compare album opener “Hurricane” and the confessional ballad “Have Your Heart Again” to hear his point. “Hurricane,” a song about a strong-willed girl who blows through your life and leaves it in tatters, is a driving rock anthem with a guitar riff that calls to mind the theme from Friends (“I’m sure some people will hate on that, but I don’t give a shit,” Parker laughs. “I thought it was cool”). “Have Your Heart Again,” meanwhile, is a simple vocal-and-piano arrangement with Parker hitting a stunning falsetto note. The songs are each irresistible and unique, rich in lyrical imagery, and unlike anything you’ll hear coming out of Nashville today.
Credit that to Parker, as sturdy as a live oak, for knowing exactly who he is.
“This town can eat you alive, the music business can eat you alive, with artists trying to remain relevant and have hit songs. That’s something I never cared about when I’m writing or making a record,” he says. “I’m never thinking about singles. I’m trying to just write songs that can potentially stand the test of time. That’s the sole purpose of writing songs for me.”
Even Never Enough tracks that have since become gold-certified hits weren’t written with radio in mind. To Parker, “Handle on You” was just a drinking song with clever lyricism (“I tell myself that I should quit/but I don’t listen to drunks”) and a late-Eighties country sound as smooth as Tennessee whiskey or, perhaps, a Shiner Bock.
“That song is a nod to some of the great records I grew up with,” says Parker, who counts George Strait, Willie Nelson, and cult hero Chris Knight as chief inspirations. “A lot of radio songs nowadays are kind of bubble-gummy. I don’t have any problem with pop-country, but I’d like to hear a little more classic country too. My team kept saying ‘Handle on You’ was a radio song and I said, ‘If y’all put that on the radio, then hell yeah.’”
A mostly solitary songwriter prior to his entrée into Nashville, Parker has now written with some of country music’s finest. Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose (a.k.a. The Love Junkies), David Lee Murphy, Brett James, and Ashley Gorley all contribute to Never Enough, along with Parker’s Texas peers Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, and Ryan Beaver.
“That’s been the biggest change since coming to Nashville: having access to some of the best songwriters in the world and sitting in a room with them to write,” Parker says. “The way these songwriters care and write, it’s from a place that I think I do as well. It’s made me look at songwriting differently.”
The proof is in Parker’s chart history. He scored his first-ever No. 1 country hit with 2020’s “Pretty Heart,” his debut single. “To Be Loved by You” followed suit, also hitting No. 1. Now, he’s staring down a career-making single in “Burn It Down,” a moody, smoldering break-up song that equates a busted relationship to a house reduced to just ashes and smoke.
Written with the Love Junkies, “Burn It Down” was born during a writing session at Parker’s home, where he spontaneously started singing the words “burn it down” over and over again. “Some days are like that, where the melody and the idea for the song is so good and everybody is on the same page,” he says. “If you’re talking about moving the needle in my career, ‘Burn It Down’ is probably going to be the song.”
Parker lives for the type of spontaneous creation that happened that day. He’ll often challenge himself to write a song without changing a single word. He did that with “Too Tight This Time.” With a pretty acoustic guitar lick, a Dobro guest shot by Jerry Douglas, and a heavy dose of humility and introspection in Parker’s vocal performance, “Too Tight This Time” is Parker’s favorite track on Never Enough.
“I said, ‘Let’s pour this thing out and whatever it is in 15 minutes, that’s what it’s going to be forever.’ I love to write songs like that and live with the end result. This one was easy to do because the melody was so good,” he says. “The line ‘There must be something broken inside this lonely man’ just hits so hard.”
For all his quiet strength and rough-hewn masculinity, Parker isn’t afraid to bare his soul. But, ironically, one of the most personal songs on Never Enough is the only song he didn’t write: “Things I Never Told You,” penned by Monty Criswell, Lynn Hutton, and Taylor Phillips, parallels Parker’s relationship with his mother. “When I moved away from home/I didn’t realize how much I’d miss ya,” he sings. “A phone call don’t take the place/of your smilin’ face cooking in that kitchen.”
“Those lines were all in there. People send me songs all the time and I never really hear any that I’m blown away by,” he says. Currently getting ready for a massive summer tour, including stadium dates with Morgan Wallen, Parker debuted “Things I Never Told You” for his mother during rehearsals. “We were in this massive amphitheater and my mom came the last day and I sang it for her. It was pretty cool.”
To Parker, the gesture was a way to show he cared. Never Enough then is a testament to how much he cares about country music.
“Sometimes I wish I didn’t care so much because everything would be easier. Hopefully one day people will look back at what I’ve done in country music and think it was honest and good for the genre,” Parker says. “This album may be called Never Enough, but if they see that what I did was real, that’ll be enough for me.”
Happy New Year
Parker McCollum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Travelin' dirt roads through the woods
Shoes and shirts and my money stayed back home
Soul lost at land and free to roam
Oh a shack in the back of an old graveyard not a soul
A brand new ball gown glitter and gold
Linens fine and pressed for sleepin' late
Darlin',
Who was here my dear,
Who makes their bed and dissapears
Oh I smell your trail
Oh I feel your fear
Goodnight, good day, hello
And Happy New Year.
Oh the rain was thick and I could not see your tears
How could you love me after all these years
Summer came and Spring time stole your heart
Darlin'.
It's your shack in the back of my whole graveyard
You were here my dear
Who makes their bed and dissapears
Oh I smell your trail
Oh I feel your fear
Goodnight, good day, hello
And Happy New Year
Who was here my dear
Who makes their bed and dissapears
Oh I smell your trail
Oh I feel your fear
Goodnight, good day, hello
And Happy New Year
The lyrics of Parker McCollum's song "Happy New Year" portray a man who has experienced heartbreak and is reminiscing about his past relationship. The opening lines suggest that he has moved on and is doing well since his partner left him. He talks about traveling on dirt roads and having his basic necessities with him. He then contrasts the simplicity of his life with the extravagance of his former partner's life, mentioning a brand new ball gown and linen that is fine and pressed, which suggests that she has moved on more easily than him.
The next lines of the song reveal that the man is in a state of confusion and uncertainty. He is staying in a shack in the back of an old graveyard and questions who was there before him and who will be there after him. He smells her trail and feels her fear, which suggests that he is haunted by her presence, and he's not sure if he wants it to go away or not. The song concludes with a wish for a happy new year, a greeting that is full of hope and promise for what the future holds.
In summary, "Happy New Year" is a nostalgic and introspective song about a man's journey through heartbreak and acceptance. The lyrics provide an insight into his state of mind and reveal his vulnerability, but ultimately, they express a desire for a fresh start and a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
Darlin', since you left I been livin' good
Ever since you left, I have been doing well
Travelin' dirt roads through the woods
I have been exploring rugged nature trails
Shoes and shirts and my money stayed back home
I left all my valuables behind and traveled light
Soul lost at land and free to roam
My spirit is wandering freely with no particular destination
Oh a shack in the back of an old graveyard not a soul
I found a remote cabin near a deserted cemetery where nobody lives
A brand new ball gown glitter and gold
I have a fancy new dress that sparkles and shines
Linens fine and pressed for sleepin' late
My bedding is of high quality and ready for a lazy morning sleep
Darlin', It'll all be gone when I awake
All my material possessions will be gone by morning
Who was here my dear, Who makes their bed and disappears
I wonder who stayed here before me and left without a trace
Oh I smell your trail, Oh I feel your fear
I can sense your presence and your anxiety
Goodnight, good day, hello, And Happy New Year
Wishing you all the best throughout the day, night, and a Happy New Year
Oh the rain was thick and I could not see your tears
It was raining so hard that your tears were invisible to me
How could you love me after all these years
I wonder how you could still love me after so much time has passed
Summer came and Spring time stole your heart
You fell in love during the spring and summer season
Darlin'. It's your shack in the back of my whole graveyard
The deserted cabin where I stayed actually belongs to you
You were here my dear, Who makes their bed and disappears
You stayed here before me and vanished without a trace
Oh I smell your trail, Oh I feel your fear
I sense your trail and detect your anxiety
Goodnight, good day, hello, And Happy New Year
Wishing you a good day and night, and a Happy New Year
Who was here my dear, Who makes their bed and disappears
I keep wondering who stayed here and left without a sign
Oh I smell your trail, Oh I feel your fear
I can feel your presence and detect your fear
Goodnight, good day, hello, And Happy New Year
Wishing you a wonderful day, night, and a Happy New Year
Contributed by Logan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@danwhite8385
This was posted 5 yrs ago and I am just now hearing it. Meanwhile youtube recommends me stuff that I wouldnt listen to if i was 12, even though all I search for is Cody Jinks, whiskey myers, turnpike troubadors and tyler childers. I will definately be searching for more Parker.
@williamostrander6515
I went through a country phase. I'm not in it anymore but country music will always hold a special place in my heart. I went to a friend's house and his mom was playing Parker's music in the car. I asked who it was and she told me it was Parker. The stuff I mostly listen to is mostly by an artist Scarypoolparty ( aka Alejandro aranda) from industrial rock to acoustic music, he does it all. I dont mind stuff on the radio, its just that the stuff that doesn't make it to the radio is so very much better.
@williamostrander6515
https://youtu.be/dlSolw8B_Ek
@sawyerbrady455
Need to listen to Koe Wetzel too. Him and Parker have a song together called love
@joelcruz0526
@@williamostrander6515 ttupst
@jamijo23
Probably my favorite Parker McCollum song ❤🎶❤🎶
@dutchtoolzz
Thanks for your love❤
@Liveabndlearm
2024 still on play 🤘
@farmin4468
Just heard this song for the first time today. Real turnpike troubadours vibe from this one 👍🏼
@lucyarmstrong4129
I miss this Parker… but still excited to hear this new album ❤️