Travis was born in Marshville, North Carolina, the second of six children of Bobbie, a textile factory worker, and Harold Traywick, a horse breeder, turkey farmer, and construction business owner. While growing up, Travis was forced to take guitar lessons by his father and began performing at the age of eight with his brother, Ricky. Travis began drinking at the age of 12, and by 14 was a regular marijuana user, who occasionally dabbled in harder drugs. He often fought with his father and soon dropped out of high school. He became a juvenile delinquent and was arrested for various offenses, including auto theft and burglary.
Harold Traywick entered Randy and Ricky in a talent contest at a nightclub called "Country City, USA" in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the meantime, Ricky, who also had brushes with the law, was sentenced to jail and Randy had to complete the contest alone, but he won anyway. The club's manager, Elizabeth "Lib" Hatcher, took an interest in Travis and gave him a job singing at the club. Travis began focusing on music. He first recorded for Paula Records and released two unsuccessful singles — "She's My Woman" and "Dreamin'". Travis' legal troubles continued and he was due in court for probation violations. Hatcher pleaded with the judge and Travis was released in her custody with the warning that if the judge ever saw him again "he'd better bring his toothbrush, because he would be going to jail for a very long time."
Travis moved in with Hatcher. This put further strain on her already fragile marriage. She eventually left her husband and, in 1982, she and Travis moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Travis was soon turned down by every record label in town. His early demo tapes were criticized by Nashville record executives as being "too country." Hatcher took a job as manager of a nightclub, "The Nashville Palace" and hired Travis as a cook and singer. It was during this time that an unlikely romance began to form between the two; Travis said "I think we discovered how much we needed each other."
Career
In 1982, Travis recorded an independent album Randy Ray Live and Lib Hatcher used it to secure a deal with Warner Bros. Records. However, the label said they had to keep their romance a secret, so as not to turn away fans, and changed his stage name from Randy Ray to Randy Travis. In 1985, Warner Brothers released Travis' single, "On the Other Hand," which topped out at 67 on the country charts. His next single, "1982", became a Top 10 hit followed by the re-release of "On the Other Hand" in 1986. The re-release became Travis' first number one hit.
His debut album, Storms of Life, went on to sell more than 4 million copies. In the late 1980s, he had a string of hits, including "No Place Like Home" and "Diggin' Up Bones." A song from his second Warner Brothers album "Always and Forever" titled "Forever and Ever, Amen" arguably launched the neo-traditionalist country era, boosting the popularity of country music beyond its traditional fan base. For two years in a row, Travis won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for the albums Always & Forever in 1988, and for Old 8x10 in 1989. Off the success of his first two albums, Old 8x10 shipped platinum. Always and Forever was number one for 43 weeks.
Travis and Hatcher married in 1991. That year Travis took part in Voices That Care, a multi-artist project that featured other top names in music for a one-off single to raise money for the allied troops in the Gulf War. The project included fellow singers Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Kathy Mattea. By 1992, Travis was no longer charting high, as Brooks, Clint Black and others had taken over Nashville. He took a break from music to concentrate on acting and landed roles in several Western-genre films. He returned to recording with the 1994 album This Is Me and the hit single "Whisper My Name."
In 1997, Travis parted ways with Warner Brothers. He moved to DreamWorks Nashville and recorded You and You Alone, which produced the top 10 hits "Out of My Bones" and "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man." These were followed by 2000's albums Inspirational Journey, 2002's Rise and Shine and 2003's Worship and Faith. The single "Three Wooden Crosses" from the Rise and Shine album reached No. 1 and won the CMA song of the year in 2003. That same year, Travis ranked #13 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. Travis continues to act in film and television; he appeared on the series finale of Touched by an Angel. His second most recent album, Passing Through, was released in November of 2004. It combines the country music of his earlier years, with a little gospel mixed in from more recent albums. After the release of "Glory Train" in 2005 and the Christmas album "Songs of the Season" in 2007, Travis released his brand new single "Faith In You" as a free download from his official website. It heralds the projected summer [2008] release of his forthcoming album, "Around the Bend". Along with the release of the free single, RandyTravis.com has also underwent a complete overhaul, with opportunities for fans to create blogs and join an upcoming official fan club. The new sleek look of the website has attracted throngs of fans. Contributor Anthony Maurizio has recently produced the Digging Up Bones blog series on the website, which has increased website traffic and is considered one of the most esteemed country music articles available for reading.
1982
Randy Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need to make apologies for what I didn't do
I sure do need to tell her that I've thought the whole thing through
And now it's clear that she is what I should have held on to
They say hindsight's 20/20
But I'm nearly goin' blind
From starin' at her photograph and wishing she was mine
It's sad but its true
There was a time when she was mine in 1982
Postman can you sell me a special kind of stamp
One to send a letter from this crazy, lonely man
Back into the wasted years of my living past
I need to tell her now I know how long my love will last
They say hindsight's 20/20
But I'm nearly goin' blind
From starin' at her photograph and wishing she was mine
It's that same ol' lost love story
It's sad but its true
There was a time when she was mine in 1982
Losing my mind, going back in time to 1982
The lyrics of Randy Travis's song "1982" exude a sense of regret and a longing to go back in time to correct past mistakes. The singer of the song is shown to be seeking an operator's help in connecting him to the year 1982 for the purpose of apologizing for not expressing his love to someone he should have held on to. He wants to make amends and tell that special someone that he has thought about about what he should have done differently. The chorus highlights the fact that hindsight is indeed twenty-twenty, but once the opportunity to do things right has passed, no matter how hard you try to undo it, it will still bring pain.
The second verse shows the singer reaching out to a postman to sell him a special kind of stamp, one that can send a letter to his past self in 1982. In this letter, he wishes to convey the message that his love for her will last forever. In the end, the song takes a turn for the melancholy as he laments about the lost love that once used to be his.
The song is a poignant reminder of the mistakes we make in matters of the heart and how we often realize their gravity far too late. At the heart of it, the lyrics capture the universal themes of regret, nostalgia, and the longing to have those intimate moments back.
Line by Line Meaning
Operator, please connect me with 1982
The singer requests to be connected to 1982 as if it were a person and not a year, expressing his desire to go back in time.
I need to make apologies for what I didn't do
He regrets not doing something, and now wants to make amends or apologize for not doing so.
I sure do need to tell her that I've thought the whole thing through
The singer realizes he should have put more thought into his actions and he intends to tell someone (her) about it.
And now its clear that she is what I should have held on to
The singer regrets not holding onto someone, but now realizes that person is what he should have held onto.
They say hindsight's twenty-twenty
This is a commonly used idiom meaning that it's easier to see things more clearly after they have happened or in the past.
But I'm nearly goin' blind
The singer feels like he's been thinking about the past so much that he's losing focus on the present.
From starin' at her photograph and wishing she was mine
The singer has a photo of someone he wishes was his, and he spends a lot of time looking at it and wishing things were different.
Its that same ole lost love story
This is a reference to a common theme in music - the story of losing love or not being with the person you want to be with.
Its sad but its true
The singer recognizes that his story of lost love is sad, but it's still true.
There was a time when she was mine in 1982
The singer reflects on a time in the past when he was with the woman he wishes he was still with, and this time specifically refers to the year 1982.
Postman can you sell me a special kind of stamp
The singer is asking for a special kind of stamp because he wants to send a letter to someone that is very important to him.
One to send a letter from this crazy lonely man
The singer refers to himself as a crazy lonely man, which implies that he is going through a difficult time because of the person he's lost.
Back into the wasted years of my living past
He wants to go back in time to a time that he feels was wasted, and try to fix something that he feels is important now.
I need to tell her now I know how long my love will last
The singer wants to tell the person he is sending the letter to that he knows how long his love for her will last.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Louis Schoorl, Bertie Blackman, Mark Ashley Richardson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Justin Coone
That steel kick off gets me every time
faerylandsguinevere
It is sweet. Love me a steel guitar.
Deborah E. Cheney
HE'S THE TRUE COUNTRY MUSIC 🎶 🎵 👌
Chuck Duncan
Yep
Judy Alred
This boy is Pure Country we love you Randy😊 No one can sing like you🙆♀️ you're a fine fellow Randy 🙏 Great singer 💖 Thank you for sharing your talent with all of us listeners 😊 God Bless You and your wife your family ✝️❤🙏
David
Hello Judy
David
How does he song makes you feel wen ever you enjoy listening to it
Elle Black
Indoor t is men's soccer ⚽️ mxmnnl
Elle Black
Elle is qsaq in mommy's much longer for
Wesley Klehm
This is the song that made me fall in love with Randy’s music