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 Surrender All
Randy Travis Lyrics
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In a room where I once heard, "Good morning, dear"
I never thought I'd miss the early morning smell
Of hairspray in the air
And all the little things I used to take for granted
Now I miss them most of all
Ain't it funny how a woman walking out the door
Can bring a man to crawl
And I'd surrender all
To bring you back to me
Give up everything I own
Get down on my hands and knees
Just to hear the phone ringing down the hall
Oh, If you would only call
I'd surrender all
Now I'm staring out the window
Praying every passing car would bring you home
So I could take you in my arms
And give the kind of love
You should have known
And I'd surrender all
To bring you back to me
Give up everything I own
Get down on my hands and knees
Just to hear the phone ringing down the hall
Oh, If you would only call
I'd surrender all
If you would only call
I'd surrender all
The lyrics of Randy Travis' song "I'd Surrender All" express the emptiness and loneliness a man is feeling after his lover walks out of his life. He wakes up to the silence in the same room where he used to hear her voice, saying "good morning, dear." The small things that he never thought he would miss like the smell of hairspray in the air, now seem like precious memories to him. He is now consumed by a deep regret for not valuing her enough while she was still around, and now he feels helpless and hopeless without her. He is willing to do anything to bring her back, even if that means surrendering everything he owns and getting down on his hands and knees. He hopes she would call him so he could hear her voice again and start anew.
The song portrays the power and significance of love in our lives. It shows how love can make us feel complete and how the loss of that love can make us feel like we have lost everything. The song's message is one of regret, hope, and a willingness to make amends. The man is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his lover back into his life, and he is willing to give up everything he owns just to hear her voice again.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up to the silence
He wakes up in a room where there is no longer anyone to greet him or break the silence.
In a room where I once heard 'Good Morning Dear'
He used to wake up every morning to hear his loved one greet him with the same endearing phrase.
I never thought I'd miss the early morning smell
He didn't realize how much he appreciated the routine of waking up to the scent of hairspray until it was gone.
Of hairspray in the air
The smell of hairspray became a part of his morning routine.
All the little things I used to take for granted
He realizes that he had previously taken all the small gestures she had done for granted.
Now I miss them most of all
He misses the small, routine things she used to do the most.
Ain't it funny how a woman walking out the door
It's ironic how such a simple act of his loved one leaving could have such a big impact.
Can bring a man to crawl
Her leaving has caused him to feel completely powerless and defeated.
And I'd surrender all
He would give up anything to bring her back.
To bring you back to me
He wants nothing more than for her to return to him.
Give up everything I own
He is willing to give up everything he possesses.
Get down on my hands and knees
He would humble himself to the greatest extent possible.
Just to hear the phone ringing down the hall
The sound of her voice on the phone is all he needs to know that she still cares for him.
Oh, If you would only call, I'd surrender all
All he needs is a call from her and he would give up everything to have her back in his life.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Randy Travis, Alan Eugene Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind