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.
Nobody Knows
Randy Travis Lyrics
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Nobody knows how heavy my load
Nobody cares how tearful my way
How dark the night, how weary the day
Nobody knows, nobody cares
My every burden nobody shares
My only comfort and my only strength
Nobody knows how hard I must toil
Causing sometimes my heart to recoil
Nobody cares when I try to sleep
I lay awake and I bitterly weep
Nobody knows, nobody cares
My every burden, nobody shares
My only comfort, my only strength
Is Jesus walking by my side all the way
Nobody knows how weary my cross
Nobody knows my trouble, my loss
Nobody cares if even I'm ill
Or if life's hardships have broken my will
Nobody knows, nobody cares
My every burden nobody shares
My only comfort and my only strength
Is Jesus walking by my side all the way
Nobody knows, nobody cares
My every burden nobody shares
My only comfort, my only strength
Is Jesus walking by my side all the way
In Randy Travis's song, "Nobody Knows," he talks about the struggles and burdens that he faces in life, which often go unnoticed by others. He sings about the loneliness he feels on his road, how heavy his load is, and the tears that he sheds. No one seems to care about the difficult journey he is on, and he feels like he is left to face his struggles all on his own. However, the one constant he has in his life is his faith in Jesus. He finds comfort and strength in knowing that Jesus is walking by his side, even when no one else is there for him.
The song speaks to the universal experience of feeling alone in the midst of hardship. We all face struggles and burdens, and it can be difficult to feel like no one understands what we are going through. This song is a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we are never truly alone if we hold onto our faith.
One interesting fact about "Nobody Knows" is that it was not written by Randy Travis. The song was actually written by Hugh Prestwood, who has written several other country hits, including "The Song Remembers When" by Trisha Yearwood.
Another interesting fact is that "Nobody Knows" was released as a single in 1988 and reached #10 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also became one of Randy Travis's most iconic and beloved songs, and is still a favorite among his fans today.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody knows how lonely my road
No one truly understands the emptiness and isolation I feel as I travel down this difficult path.
Nobody knows how heavy my load
No one can comprehend the weight of my burdens, which I carry with me every step of the way.
Nobody cares how tearful my way
No one shows concern for the tears I shed as I face challenges and setbacks.
How dark the night, how weary the day
The darkness of difficult times and weariness of long days can be overwhelming and exhausting.
My every burden nobody shares
No one wants to share in my struggles or offer support when I face adversity and hard times.
My only comfort and my only strength
The one source of comfort and strength I have is my faith in Jesus, who is always by my side.
Nobody knows how hard I must toil
Nobody fully understands the amount of effort I put in to overcome obstacles and achieve my goals.
Causing sometimes my heart to recoil
Working so hard can sometimes be painful and cause my heart to feel overwhelmed.
Nobody cares when I try to sleep
No one shows concern for the sleepless nights I have as I worry and stress about my struggles.
I lay awake and I bitterly weep
My struggles weigh so heavily on me that I often can't sleep and end up crying myself to sleep.
Nobody knows how weary my cross
No one truly understands the weight of my personal struggles and hardships.
Nobody knows my trouble, my loss
No one can comprehend the pain and suffering I have endured as a result of my struggles and losses.
Nobody cares if even I'm ill
No one shows concern for my health and well-being, even when I'm sick or physically struggling.
Or if life's hardships have broken my will
No one understands how the difficulties of life can wear me down and leave me feeling helpless and hopeless.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ROSETTA THARPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind