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.
Day One
Randy Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just before dawn
Oh my God
This feels so wrong
Clouds roll in
And cover the sun
A new day begins
Day one
Day one
And it already feels like forever
It's over and done
So what can I do?
Day one
Of putting my life back together
Day one
Of learning to live without you
Gold ring
There on the bed
Oh my God
She meant what she said
No place to hide
No where to run
Just dying inside
Day one
Day one
And it already feels like forever
It's over and done
So what can I do?
Day one
Of putting my life back together
Day one
Of learning to live without you
Day one
Of learning to live without you
Randy Travis's 'Day One' is a heart-wrenching and emotional ballad that describes the beginning of a new chapter after a painful separation. The song appears to be about a breakup where the singer wakes up alone in a cold and empty house, feeling lost and overwhelmed. He feels that his life is starting anew, and the idea of moving on seems daunting to him. As he awakens, he sees that the sun is hidden behind the clouds, symbolizing the sense of darkness and despair that has engulfed his world.
The lyrics continue with the singer coming to terms with the fact that he's lost something precious and irreplaceable. He sees a gold ring on the bed, which symbolizes the end of the relationship. He feels that there's no place to hide, nowhere to run, and that he's just dying inside. Nevertheless, he realizes that he needs to accept what has happened and start rebuilding his life from scratch. This is the first day of his new life, and it's going to be a long haul.
The song 'Day One' is an emotional rollercoaster of a ballad that can resonate with anyone going through a traumatic separation or loss. It highlights the feelings of helplessness, sorrow, and pain that we experience during these difficult times. It's about accepting the end of one chapter and starting anew with a sense of hope and optimism.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold house
The house feels empty and uninviting.
Just before dawn
The time of day adds to the feeling of sadness and loneliness.
Oh my God
The singer is shocked and upset.
This feels so wrong
The artist is experiencing heartbreak and knows that something is very off.
Clouds roll in
The weather reflects the artist's feelings of gloom and darkness.
And cover the sun
Everything in life has turned dark and cold.
A new day begins
Despite the previous day's events, the world keeps turning and time marches on.
Day one
A new beginning, a fresh start.
And it already feels like forever
The heartbreak is already so deep and painful that it feels like it will never end.
It's over and done
The relationship has ended and there is no going back.
So what can I do?
The singer is lost and unsure of how to move on.
Of putting my life back together
The healing process has begun, and the artist is focused on rebuilding their own life.
Of learning to live without you
The singer is acknowledging that they need to move on and find a way to live without their former partner.
Gold ring
A symbol of commitment and love.
There on the bed
The ring is now alone on the bed, reflecting the end of the relationship.
She meant what she said
The artist's ex-partner was serious about ending the relationship.
No place to hide
The artist cannot escape the pain and heartbreak.
Nowhere to run
The singer cannot avoid the difficulty of the situation.
Just dying inside
The pain is overwhelming and taking over the singer's emotional state.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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