He is a relative of Cajun music legend, Doug Kershaw.
After the death of his father when Sammy was 11, he worked a variety of jobs by day while playing roadhouses at night to support his family.
During that time, he opened shows for Ray Price, Merle Haggard and George Jones while barely into his teens. When the pressures of growing up fast took their toll in the form of a serious drug and alcohol problem, he quit his bad habits cold turkey in 1988 and took a break from music to work as a remodeling supervisor at Wal-Mart.
One of Kershaw's demo tapes made its way to Mercury Records, which released his debut album in 1991. His traditional country voice found a receptive audience in the early 1990s, with hits like "Cadillac Style," "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" and a remake of the Amazing Rhythm Aces' "Third Rate Romance."
Shortly thereafter, Kershaw and Lorrie Morgan divorced their spouses and married in 2001. They separated two years later, but quickly reconciled. Prior to their marriages, Kershaw and Morgan recorded two duets - "Maybe Not Tonight" and "He Drinks Tequila", both of which made the Top 40.
He has released over 14 albums in his career including "I Want My Money Back" on Audium Records in 2003.
Kershaw filed for protection under Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on February 7, 2007.
Singles
Year Title Album US Country
1991 "Cadillac Style" Don't Go Near The Water 3
1991 "Don't Go Near The Water" Don't Go Near The Water 12
1992 "Yard Sale" Don't Go Near The Water 17
1993 "Anywhere But Here" Don't Go Near The Water 10
1992 "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" Haunted Heart 1
1993 "Haunted Heart" Haunted Heart 9
1993 "Queen Of My Double-Wide Trailer" Haunted Heart 7
1994 "I Can't Reach Her Anymore"A Haunted Heart 3
1994 "National Working Woman's Holiday" Feelin' Good Train 2
1994 "Third Rate Romance" Feelin' Good Train 2
1995 "Southbound" Feelin' Good Train 27
1995 "If You're Gonna Walk, I'm Gonna Crawl" Feelin' Good Train 18
1995 "Your Tattoo" The Hits, Chapter One 47
1996 "Meant To Be" Politics, Religion And Her 5
1996 "Vidalia" Politics, Religion And Her 10
1997 "Politics, Religion And Her" Politics, Religion And Her 28
1997 "Fit To Be Tied Down" Politics, Religion And Her 29
1998 "Love Of My Life"A, B Labor Of Love 2
1998 "Matches" Labor Of Love 22
1998 "Honky Tonk America" Labor Of Love 31
1999 "One Day Left To Live" Labor Of Love 35
1999 "Maybe Not Tonight" (w/ Lorrie Morgan) Maybe Not Tonight 17
1999 "When You Love Someone" Maybe Not Tonight 37
2000 "Me And Maxine" Maybe Not Tonight 35
2001 "He Drinks Tequila" (w/ Lorrie Morgan) I Finally Found Someone 39
2003 "I Want My Money Back" I Want My Money Back 33
2003 "I've Never Been Anywhere" I Want My Money Back 58
2006 "Tennessee Girl" Honky Tonk Boots 43
2006 "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" Honky Tonk Boots -
Tennessee Girl
Sammy Kershaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's about the prettiest thing in the state
So I went down to the DMV
Was gonna get me some vanity plates
I told 'em, "She's my everything, she's my dream come true
"If I don't tell her, man, I don't what I'll do
"It feels so good that I can't keep it to myself
So I called up Dave, formerly a jet-fighter
Currently a sky-writer, when you pay him cash
I told him what I wanted him to give me
He said, "I'll get so dizzy, I'll probably crash"
I told him, "She's my everything, she's my dream come true
"If I don't tell her, man, I don't what I'll do
"It feels so good that I can't keep it to myself
"I love that T E, double N, E double S double E G I are L"
(That girl)
(C'mon baby)
So I went down to the emporium
I'm gonna get me some epidermal art
I'm savin' up every penny 'cause
It'll cost me plenty, man, an' it's gonna smart
But she's my everything, she's my dream come true
If I don't tell her, man, I don't what I'll do
It feels so good that I can't keep it to myself
I love that T E, double N, E double S double E G I are L.
She's my everything; she's my dream come true
If I don't tell her, man, I don't what I'll do
It feels so good that I can't keep it to myself
I love that T E, double N, E double S double E G I are L
T E, double N, E double S double E G I are L
Ah, nah, nah, now, now, now, no, no
Ah, that girl, baby
You all got to get it to her for me
Aw, c'mon back, honey
I went to a lot of trouble to get this thing on here
The song is about a man who meets a girl from Johnson City, Tennessee who he finds to be the prettiest thing in the state. He decides to get personalized license plates with her name on it to publicly display his love for her. The man goes to the DMV to get the plates and then hires a skywriter to write her name in the sky. Finally, he goes to get a tattoo of her name on his body. The lyrics express his love for the Tennessee girl and his desire to publicly declare it.
The song is a fun and lighthearted depiction of infatuation and the lengths people might go to declare their love for someone. The lyrics are playful and the melody is upbeat, making it an enjoyable tune to listen to. Additionally, the use of specific places and names (such as Johnson City and the DMV) adds a personal touch to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a girl from Johnson City, man
I saw a girl I liked in Johnson City
She's about the prettiest thing in the state
This girl is very attractive
So I went down to the DMV
I went to the DMV to get a vanity plate
Was gonna get me some vanity plates
I was going to get personalized license plates
I told 'em, 'She's my everything, she's my dream come true'
I told them the girl I saw was very special to me
"If I don't tell her, man, I don't what I'll do
If I don't express my feelings to her, I'll regret it
"It feels so good that I can't keep it to myself
I am very pleased with this girl
"I love that T E, double N, E double S double E G I are L"
I love the way the word "Tennessee Girl" sounds
So I called up Dave, formerly a jet-fighter
I called my friend Dave who used to fly jets
Currently a sky-writer, when you pay him cash
He currently writes in the sky for money
I told him what I wanted him to give me
I told him I needed something special
"He said, 'I'll get so dizzy, I'll probably crash'
He warned me about the dangers of what I asked him to do
So I went down to the emporium
I went to a store that does tattoos
"I'm gonna get me some epidermal art"
I planned on getting a tattoo
"It'll cost me plenty, man, an' it's gonna smart"
It will be expensive and painful
"Ah, nah, nah, now, now, now, no, no"
I am expressing my frustration with something
"Ah, that girl, baby"
I am talking about the girl I like
"You all got to get it to her for me"
I need someone to convey my feelings to her
"Aw, c'mon back, honey"
I am calling out to her
"I went to a lot of trouble to get this thing on here"
I did a lot to express my feelings for her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DIPIERO, WISEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind