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.
Heroes and Friends
Randy Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I've learned to be gentle and I've learned to be tough
I've found only two things that last to the end
One is your heroes and the other's your friends
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself
Your friends won't forsake you for somebody else
They'll both stand beside you through thick and through thin
I grew up with cowboys I watched on TV
My friends and I sometimes pretended to be
Years have gone by but now and again
My heart rides the range with my heroes and friends
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself
Your friends won't forsake you for somebody else
They'll both stand beside you through thick and through thin
And that's how it goes with heroes and friends
Yeah, that's how it goes with heroes and friends
In Randy Travis’s song Heroes and Friends, he talks about the two things that last until the end- heroes and friends. He has lived long enough to realize that being gentle and tough, and finding good in oneself, are important. Travis believes that both heroes and friends stand alongside a person through thick and thin. These are the people who will never forsake a person for someone else but will always be there when needed.
Travis’s reference to cowboys from TV shows and pretending to be them as children takes the listener on a nostalgic journey. Although years have passed, his heart still rides the range with his heroes and friends. This shows how both heroes and friends provide a sense of comfort in difficult times.
Overall, the song is about the significance of the people who influence one’s life. Heroes encourage a person to be the best version of themselves, while friends provide companionship and support. It is not solely about individuals but rather the impact that they make in the long run.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't live forever but I've lived enough
Although I haven't lived for an excessively long time, I've experienced a lot.
And I've learned to be gentle and I've learned to be tough
I've gained knowledge over the years that has taught me to be both kind and resilient.
I've found only two things that last to the end
Throughout my life, I've discovered that only two things endure until the end.
One is your heroes and the other your friends
These two things, your heroes and your friends, are what persist until the very end of time.
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself
Your heroes can provide you with inspiration and guidance to discover the best qualities within yourself.
Your friends won't forsake you for somebody else
True friends won't abandon you for someone else or break your trust.
They'll both stand beside you through thick and through thin
Both heroes and friends will support you through difficult times and challenges in life.
And that's how it goes with heroes and friends
This is the way it is when it comes to having heroes and friends in your life.
I grew up with cowboys I watched on tv
As a child, I was exposed to cowboys on television whom I admired and looked up to.
My friends and I sometimes pretended to be
I and my friends used to play make-believe games where we pretended to be cowboys.
Years have gone by but now and again
Although many years have passed since then, I still think about it from time to time.
My heart rides the range with my heroes and friends
My heart is with my heroes and friends, reliving those memories of my youth.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Randy Travis, Donald Alan Schlitz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Heroes and Friends
Randy Travis
I ain't live forever but I've lived enough
And I've learned to be gentle and I've learned to be tough
I've found only two things that last to the end
One is your heroes and the other your friends
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself
Your friends won't forsake you for somebody else
They'll both stand beside you through thick and through thin
And that's how it goes with heroes and friends
I grew up with cowboys I watched on tv
My friends and I sometimes pretended to be
Years have gone by but now and again
My heart rides the range with my heroes and friends
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself
Your friends won't forsake you for somebody else
They'll both stand beside you through thick and through thin
And that's how it goes with heroes and friends
Your heroes will help you find good in yourself
Your friends won't forsake you for somebody else
They'll both stand beside you through thick and through thin
And that's how it goes with heroes and friends
That's how it goes with heroes and friends
الصنهاجي عبد الرحيم
This song deserves 1 billion views. It s really underrated.
Naganos
Played this at my husbands funeral. He was both those things to many people. Bittersweet every time I hear it.
rcw24always
It's a never ending hitlist with this man. He's a true living legend in the country music biz.
David Emshwiller
This was my older brother's favorite song we played this at his funeral
djm
Thanks for the comment, David. RIP to your brother.
RioShooter
It's a shame that kids today don't have heroes like Roy Rogers. He was one of mine.
betty bartz
There is never a such thing as "too country"
Janet Baxter
You are the best Randy!!
Thunder Heart
I love this country singer...great song!
Aaron Jones
Irish???