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.
I'm Movin' On
Randy Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Means your true-lovin' daddy ain't comin' back
'Cause I'm movin' on, I'll soon be gone
You were flyin' too high, for my little old sky
So I'm movin' on
That big loud whistle as it blew and blew
Said hello to the southland, we're comin' to you
You had the laugh on me, so I've set you free
And I'm movin' on
Mister fireman won't you please listen to me
'Cause I got a pretty mama in Tennessee
Keep movin' me on, keep rollin' on
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll
And keep movin' me on
Mister Engineer, take that throttle in hand
This rattler's the fastest in the southern land
To keep movin' me on, keep rollin' on
You gonna ease my mind, put me there on time
And keep rollin' on
I've told you baby, from time to time
But you just wouldn't listen or pay me no mind
Now I'm movin' on, I'm rollin' on
You've broken your vow, and it's all over now
So I'm movin' on
You've switched your engine now I ain't got time
For a triflin' woman on my main line
Cause I'm movin on, you done your daddy wrong
I warned you twice, now you can settle the price
'Cause I'm movin on
But someday baby when you've had your play
You're gonna want your daddy but your daddy will say
Keep movin' on, you stayed away too long
I'm through with you, too bad you're blue
Keep movin' on
The song "I'm Movin' On" by Randy Travis is about a man who is leaving his lover because she couldn't commit to their relationship. The song starts with the sound of a train, which represents the man's feelings of moving on and leaving his past behind. The lyrics talk about how the woman was "flying too high" and he couldn't keep up with her, so he had to let her go. He talks about the train whistle blowing, symbolizing a new beginning for him. In the later part of the song, the man talks to the engineer and fireman and asks them to keep the train moving, urging them to "keep rollin' on".
The chorus of the song is catchy, with the lyrics "Keep movin' me on, keep rollin' on". These lyrics represent the man's attitude towards his situation - he is determined to move on and start fresh, leaving his past behind him. The song has a strong beat and is lyrics-focused, making it a classic country music hit that is easy to sing along to.
Overall, "I'm Movin' On" is a powerful song that tells the story of a man who is leaving his lover because she couldn't commit to their relationship. The song is characterized by its strong beat, catchy chorus, and Randy Travis's classic country vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
That big eight-wheeler rollin' down the track
The train leaving symbolizes my decision and commitment to move on from this relationship
Means your true-lovin' daddy ain't comin' back
This signifies that I'm leaving you for good
'Cause I'm movin' on, I'll soon be gone
I'm moving forward with my life, which means leaving you behind
You were flyin' too high, for my little old sky
You had high expectations and a lifestyle that's beyond my reach
So I'm movin' on
Therefore, I'm moving on with my life
That big loud whistle as it blew and blew
The loud whistle symbolizes the sound that calls me to move forward
Said hello to the southland, we're comin' to you
The journey forward is calling me to the South
When we're movin' on, oh hear my song
The song is a call to move forward and leave the past behind
You had the laugh on me, so I've set you free
You had the last laugh in the relationship, but I'm setting you free by moving on
And I'm movin' on
I'm committed to moving on despite the pain and hurt
Mister fireman won't you please listen to me
I'm asking the train fireman to help me move forward and leave my past behind
'Cause I got a pretty mama in Tennessee
I'm moving to Tennessee to start a new life with someone else
Keep movin' me on, keep rollin' on
I need to keep moving forward and not look back
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll
The train represents my life and I'm asking to keep it moving forward
And keep movin' me on
I need the train to keep moving me forward to a new life
Mister Engineer, take that throttle in hand
I'm asking the train engineer to take control and make sure the train is moving forward at full speed
This rattler's the fastest in the southern land
The train is known to be the fastest one in the South, and I need it to move forward quickly
To keep movin' me on, keep rollin' on
I need the train to keep moving me forward without stopping
You gonna ease my mind, put me there on time
I need the train to help me forget my past and take me to my new life on time
And keep rollin' on
Just like the train, I need to keep moving forward
I've told you baby, from time to time
I have warned you multiple times throughout our relationship
But you just wouldn't listen or pay me no mind
But you refused to listen and understand my feelings
Now I'm movin' on, I'm rollin' on
I am moving on with my life and not looking back
You've broken your vow, and it's all over now
You broke your promise to me, and now our relationship is over
So I'm movin' on
Therefore, I'm moving on with my life
You've switched your engine now I ain't got time
You've found someone else, but I'm not interested in trying to fix our relationship
For a triflin' woman on my main line
I'm not going to waste my time on someone who doesn't deserve it
'Cause I'm movin on, you done your daddy wrong
I'm committed to moving forward, and you're the one who ruined the relationship
I warned you twice, now you can settle the price
I gave you multiple warnings, and now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions
'Cause I'm movin on
Therefore, I'm committed to moving forward and leaving this relationship behind
But someday baby when you've had your play
At some point, when you're done living your life, you'll regret losing me
You're gonna want your daddy but your daddy will say
When you realize what you lost, I won't be there for you anymore
Keep movin' on, you stayed away too long
I'm moving on while I still can, despite how long it took you to realize your mistake
I'm through with you, too bad you're blue
I'm done with you, and it's unfortunate that you're feeling sad now
Keep movin' on
I'm committed to moving forward and never looking back
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Snow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind