Phil’s path toward a country music career began in a childhood molded by two equally strong influences. The first was the ministry, which had shaped both sides of his family for generations. The other was music. Phil grew up singing in church and later became a member of the prestigious Lee Singers.
Intending to pursue a career in music after graduating from college, Phil was compelled to join the Navy after the attacks of September 11.
While stationed in Jacksonville, FL as lead singer of the Navy Band Southeast, he performed music by Garth Brooks, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and James Taylor, a rounding out of tastes that served him well when he finally hit Idol. Then, with Country Week, it all came full circle. "Randy said, 'Dude, you're gonna have a big career in country,' and that was the night even Simon agreed," he says. "And I was thinking, 'Thank God, because this is me. I'm finally getting to do something I love to do.'"
After the 55-city Idol tour wrapped in September 2007, Phil immediately re-enlisted in the Naval Reserves. He moved his family to Nashville, signed with Lyric Street Records, and began recording his debut album with producer Wayne Kirkpatrick.
The music they’ve recorded will give listeners a look at a man who comes into his own with a hard-won maturity and self-knowledge. "I feel my job as a singer," he says, "is part of my job as a human being. I'm supposed to be touching other people's lives, doing the best I can to be a positive force in the world."
What I'm Fighting For
Phil Stacey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're only human, but we make no time to ever take a breath
But caught up in the madness, it should be common sense
To know when life is scattered, love is all that matters
Baby, I, I'm not gonna let it be
You know that I'd do anything, to keep you holding me
Baby, I would stop the world and take you in
[Chorus: ]
That's what I'm fighting for, yeah ah
You're what I'm fighting for
So many people yearning
Wake up a wanting more
They break their backs
To find exactly what their not looking for
They sacrifice a diamond to gain a lot of coal
And end up holding only, never letting go
Baby, I, I'm not gonna let it be
You know that I'd do anything, to keep you holding me
Baby, I would stop the world and take you in
And I would do it all again, to love you even more
[Chorus: ]
Everybody's so in love to get more time
Baby, I wont be the one to buy that line
[Chorus: ]
Oooooooooh
Baby, I would stop the world and take you in
And I would do it all again, to love you even more
Baby, I, I'm not gonna let it be
You know that I'd do anything, to keep you holding me
Baby, I would stop the world and take you in
And I would do it all again, to love you even more
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
In Phil Stacey's song "What I'm Fighting For," he talks about how everyone around is always moving and trying to get ahead without taking a moment to breathe. He calls it "madness" and suggests that in the chaos of life and its complexities, one must remember that love is all that matters. The lines "So many people yearning, wake up wanting more, they break their backs to find exactly what they're not looking for" talks about how people tend to be blinded by societal pressure and end up striving for what they don't need. People often end up sacrificing precious relationships just to attain material things and then holding onto them tightly.
However, Phil's love is different. He's not giving in to the madness around him but choosing to fight for the love he has found. The line "That's what I'm fighting for" speaks about how he's ready to fight all odds to protect the love he has. He believes that love is worth fighting for, and no amount of societal pressure can make him trade his love for anything else. The song emphasizes that Phil's relationship is worth all the fight and sacrifice, and he would go the extra mile to keep his partner close to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten thousand people moving, just trying to get ahead
Many people are constantly striving for success without taking a break
We're only human, but we make no time to ever take a breath
Despite being human, we don't take time to relax and breathe
But caught up in the madness, it should be common sense
Amidst confusion, it should be logical to focus on love
To know when life is scattered, love is all that matters
To acknowledge when life is chaotic is to value love above all else
Baby, I, I'm not gonna let it be
I won't let anything come between us
You know that I'd do anything, to keep you holding me
I'll do all that is necessary to make you mine forever
Baby, I would stop the world and take you in
I'd go to any lengths to be with you
And I would do it all again, to love you even more
I'd do it all over again to show you how much I love you
That's what I'm fighting for, yeah ah
I'm fighting for our love to prevail against all odds
You're what I'm fighting for
I'm fighting to keep you in my life
So many people yearning
Many people want more from life
Wake up a wanting more
We always crave for more
They break their backs
People work very hard
To find exactly what their not looking for
To achieve things that aren't in their best interest
They sacrifice a diamond to gain a lot of coal
They trade something valuable for something worthless
And end up holding only, never letting go
They end up holding onto something they no longer need
Everybody's so in love to get more time
Everyone is so obsessed with time
Baby, I wont be the one to buy that line
I won't be fooled by this obsession
Oooooooooh
Musical interlude
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BEN GLOVER, KYLE JACOBS, KYLE CHRISTOPHER JACOBS, SHAUN SHANKEL, SHAUN ADRIAN SHANKEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind