Overall, England has charted five singles on the country charts, all five from his first two studio albums. His highest-charting single was his debut single, "Should've Asked Her Faster", a #3 hit in late 1995.
England began playing guitar during his youth. He sang with various bands in high school, and performed in his school chorus. While working at a coffee shop during his time as a student at Oklahoma State University, fellow student Garth Brooks met him and soon the two were roommates. They performed together until failing grades forced England to move back home. He did eventually get a degree in marketing, but he worked at an automotive paint store.
By 1988, Garth had moved to Nashville, and after landing a recording contract, called England to come be his guitarist and backup vocalist.
Travelin' Soldier
Ty England Lyrics
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He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens
Sat down in a booth a café there
Gave his order to the girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy but she gave him a smile
So he said would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talkin' to me I'm feelin' a little low
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go
He said I bet you got a boyfriend and I don't care
I've got no one to send my letters to
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
My love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says a soldier's coming home
Well the letters came
>From an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he talked about his heart
It might be love
And all of the things he was so scared of
Said when it's gettin kinda tough over here
I think about that day sittin' down at the pier
And close my eyes I see you pretty smile
Now don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
My love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says a soldier's coming home
One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang
The man said folks bow your heads
For the list of local Vietnam dead
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read and no one really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair
The song "Travelin' Soldier" by Ty England tells the story of a young soldier who meets a girl in a café before being sent off to fight in the Vietnam War. The soldier and the girl hit it off and exchange letters while he is overseas. The song is written from the girl's perspective, and she is heartbroken when she hears that the soldier has been killed in action.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the soldier's experience in Vietnam, with lines such as "And he talked about his heart, it might be love, and all of the things he was so scared of." The song also addresses the impact of the war on small communities in the United States, with the heart-wrenching scene of a local football game where the names of Vietnam War casualties are read aloud, including the soldier who the girl was waiting for.
Overall, "Travelin' Soldier" is a powerful song that captures the emotions and realities of war from a unique and relatable perspective. It speaks to the sacrifices made by soldiers and their loved ones, and reminds us of the human cost of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Two days past eighteen
The soldier is just 20 years old and has recently joined the army
He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens
He is in the army uniform and is waiting for the bus
Sat down in a booth a café there
The soldier sat in a cafe and took a booth
Gave his order to the girl with a bow in her hair
The girl serving him food had a bow in her hair and the soldier placed his order with her
He's a little shy but she gave him a smile
The soldier was feeling shy but the girl serving him smiled at him
So he said would you mind sittin' down for a while
The soldier asked the girl if she would like to sit with him
And talkin' to me I'm feelin' a little low
The soldier requested the girl to talk to him since he was feeling a little low
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go
The girl told the soldier that she would be free in an hour and knew a place where they could hang out
So they went down and sat on the pier
The soldier and the girl went to a pier and sat there
He said I bet you got a boyfriend and I don't care
The soldier asked the girl if she had a boyfriend but it didn't matter to him
I've got no one to send my letters to
The soldier had no one to write letters to
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you
The soldier asked the girl if she would mind him sending letters to her
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
The girl is emotionally attached to the soldier and thinks of him all the time
Too young for him they told her
People thought the girl was too young for the soldier
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
The girl patiently waits for the soldier's love
My love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letter says a soldier's coming home
The girl loves the soldier and is waiting eagerly for the day when he returns home from war
Well the letters came
>From an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he talked about his heart
It might be love
And all of the things he was so scared of
The soldier wrote letters to the girl from army camps in California and Vietnam, revealing his love for her and his fears
Said when it's gettin kinda tough over here
I think about that day sittin' down at the pier
And close my eyes I see you pretty smile
Now don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while
The soldier told the girl that he thinks of her when things get tough and that he won't be able to write for a while
One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang
The man said folks bow your heads
For the list of local Vietnam dead
At a football game, the Lord's Prayer was said and the national anthem was sung, after which a man called for people to honor the local Vietnam soldiers who had died
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read and no one really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair
A girl who played the piccolo under the stands was crying alone after hearing the name of a dead soldier, and she was the only one who cared
Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Bruce Robison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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