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.
Don't Think Twice It's All Right
Randy Travis Lyrics
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If you don't know by now
Ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe
It'll never do somehow
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window babe and I'll be gone
You're the reason I keep travelin' on
But don't think twice it's all right
Ain't no use in turning on your light babe
That light I've never known
Ain't no use in turning on your light babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
Wishin' there was something you could do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
But we never did too much talkin' anyway
But don't think twice it's all right
Ain't no use in callin' out my name now
Like you never done before
Ain't no use in callin' out my name gal
I can't hear you anymore
Walkin' and a thinkin'
Goin' down this road
I once loved a woman
A child I'm told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice it's all right
So long honey baby
Where I'm bound I can't tell
Goodbye is just too good a word babe
I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done much better babe
But I don't mind
You just wasted some of my precious time
But don't think twice it's all right
Don't think twice it's all right
The song "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" by Randy Travis tells the story of a man who has made the decision to leave a woman he once loved. He sings that there is no use sitting and wondering why he is leaving as it is not going to change anything. The lyrics suggest that the reason for his departure is betrayal and that he has given his heart to the woman but she wanted his soul. Despite this, the man tells the woman not to feel regret or guilt for the way she treated him. He seems to be at peace with his decision and tells her not to think twice about it.
The lyrics are melancholic, but also empowering in a way, as they depict a man who has made a difficult decision and has come to terms with it. The repetition of the phrase "don't think twice it's all right" at the end of each verse reinforces this idea. The song captures the essence of heartbreak, and the struggle that one faces when coming to terms with the end of a relationship.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and poignant exploration of love lost and the sadness that comes with it. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful. It is no wonder that this song has stood the test of time and remains a favorite among music lovers all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe
No point in wondering why things didn't work out
If you don't know by now
If you don't understand already
Ain't no use to sit and wonder why babe
No point in overthinking it
It'll never do somehow
It's just not meant to be
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
When the day starts fresh and new
Look out your window babe and I'll be gone
I'll be gone without a trace
You're the reason I keep travelin' on
You were the motivation for my journey
But don't think twice it's all right
But it's okay, I'm moving on
Ain't no use in turning on your light babe
No need to brighten things up
That light I've never known
I've never experienced such brightness
Ain't no use in turning on your light babe
It won't change how things ended
I'm on the dark side of the road
I'm in a place of darkness and uncertainty
Wishin' there was something you could do or say
I wish you could have changed things
To try and make me change my mind and stay
To convince me to stay
But we never did too much talkin' anyway
We never communicated enough
But don't think twice it's all right
But it's still okay, I'm moving on
Ain't no use in callin' out my name now
No need to call out for me
Like you never done before
As if trying for the first time
Ain't no use in callin' out my name gal
It won't change my decision
I can't hear you anymore
I'm too far away, both physically and emotionally
Walkin' and a thinkin'
Walking and reflecting
Goin' down this road
Following this path
I once loved a woman
I used to be in love with someone
A child I'm told
I was young and naive
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
I gave everything I had but it was not enough
But don't think twice it's all right
Despite everything, it's okay, I'm moving on
So long honey baby
Goodbye my love
Where I'm bound I can't tell
I'm not sure where I'm going
Goodbye is just too good a word babe
Farewell is too final
I'll just say fare thee well
I'll just say goodbye
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
I'm not accusing you of being cruel
You could have done much better babe
There was room for improvement
But I don't mind
But it's okay, I'm moving on
You just wasted some of my precious time
You used up some of my valuable time
But don't think twice it's all right
Despite everything, I'm okay with it, I'm moving on
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind