Secret
Tyler Braden Lyrics
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With a most slip away every day to the whiskey still
And they sell shine by the bottle for a fire every Saturday
Behind Old Red's Tavern but you didn't hear that from me
'Cause we all act like we don't know
Where daddy got his money for a fishing pole
A Zebco don't come cheap in this day and time
'Cause we've got bills that we can't pay
It's a small town and we know how it goes
It's just another secret
That everybody knows
Old man Rainey spends his days at the local store
He pays for little but sometimes leaves with more
But he's always got a story 'bout his boy shipped overseas
And he hasn't been the same since, so we let him be
And we all act like we don't know
That he ain't got nowhere to go
'Cause he's too proud to beg for a handout
And we all turn the other way
'Cause there ain't that much left to say
It's a small town and we know how it goes
It's just another secret
That everybody knows
Well, this simple life ain't as easy as it sounds
'Cause we've all got things that we don't talk about
Jenny had a baby last spring, now she's all alone
'Cause old man Rainey's boy, he ain't coming home
Now she drinks from a bottle she got behind Old Red's
'Cause she can't get the sight of him leaving out of her head
And we all act like we don't know
When she comes into Sunday school
With a smile and baby boy in her arms...
And we all turn the other way
Say "bless their hearts" and we just pray
It's a small town and we know how it goes
It's just another secret
That everybody knows
It's just another secret
That everybody knows
Hmm...
Tyler Braden's song "Secret" tells the story of a small town where everyone seems to have a secret they keep from each other. The first verse talks about an old train track that leads to a whiskey still behind Old Red's Tavern. While the locals know about it, they keep it a secret from the authorities. Tyler sings that they all turn the other way because they have bills to pay, and they know how it goes in a small town. The chorus emphasizes the idea that they all act like they don't know, but in fact, everybody knows.
The second verse introduces Old Man Rainey, who spends his days at the local store. People in the town know that he pays for little things but sometimes leaves with more, yet they let him be because he has a son shipped overseas, and he hasn't been the same since. Again, Tyler emphasizes the idea that everyone turns the other way and leaves Rainey alone, even though they know what he's doing.
The final part of the song tells the story of Jenny, who had a baby last spring and is all alone now. Old Man Rainey's boy went to war and won't be coming back. Jenny turns to alcohol to numb her pain, and while the town knows about it, they all act like they don't. Tyler sings that they just pray for her and say "bless their hearts" while knowing that it's just another secret that everybody knows.
Overall, "Secret" highlights the idea of a small town where everyone knows everyone's business but keeps it to themselves. The song has a poignant melody that perfectly complements the somber theme, invoking emotions of sadness, empathy, and nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an old train track, goes back by the old mill
There's a train track that travels behind the old mill
With a most slip away every day to the whiskey still
People often sneak away to make whiskey at the still
And they sell shine by the bottle for a fire every Saturday
They sell homemade shine by the bottle every Saturday night
Behind Old Red's Tavern but you didn't hear that from me
They sell it behind Old Red's Tavern, but keep it a secret
'Cause we all act like we don't know
Everyone pretends they don't know
Where daddy got his money for a fishing pole
No one talks about how dad got the money for his fishing pole
A Zebco don't come cheap in this day and time
A Zebco fishing pole is expensive nowadays
And we all turn the other way
Everyone ignores what they know
'Cause we've got bills that we can't pay
Everyone has bills they can't afford to pay
It's a small town and we know how it goes
This is a small town and everyone knows the routine
It's just another secret
It's just another thing no one talks about
That everybody knows
Everyone knows, but no one acknowledges
Old man Rainey spends his days at the local store
Old man Rainey spends time at the local store every day
He pays for little but sometimes leaves with more
He hardly pays for anything but sometimes takes more than he paid for
But he's always got a story 'bout his boy shipped overseas
Old man Rainey always talks about his son who is serving overseas
And he hasn't been the same since, so we let him be
His son's absence has affected him, but they let him be
That he ain't got nowhere to go
They know he has nowhere else to be
'Cause he's too proud to beg for a handout
He won't ask for help because he's too proud
Well, this simple life ain't as easy as it sounds
Living simply is harder than it seems
'Cause we've all got things that we don't talk about
Everyone has secrets they keep to themselves
Jenny had a baby last spring, now she's all alone
Jenny had a baby last spring, and is now a single mother
'Cause old man Rainey's boy, he ain't coming home
Old man Rainey's son won't be returning home
Now she drinks from a bottle she got behind Old Red's
She drinks from the homemade shine she got from behind Old Red's
'Cause she can't get the sight of him leaving out of her head
She can't forget the image of him leaving
When she comes into Sunday school
When Jenny goes to Sunday school
With a smile and baby boy in her arms...
She comes in holding her baby with a smile
Say 'bless their hearts' and we just pray
They say 'bless their hearts' and hope everything works out
It's just another secret
It's just another thing kept a secret
That everybody knows
Everyone knows about it, but doesn't talk about it
Contributed by Hannah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hunter Gooding
How is this man not on country music billboards he is so underrated rated
Sheila Bittinger
Agreed!
Dana Schreiber
Amen he is a rare find, love his voice!!!
Chase Craig Band
Just a matter of time until he's playing with Luke Combs.
Southern_ Rebel20
Ikr his acoustic stuff is amazing
Pantlessbobandy
Brother, coming from a small town, this is some of the deepest writing I've seen. I hope some day you receive the recognition you deserve.
Belinda Cade
Amazing singer song writer!😍😍😍
Adam W
This version makes the song hit that much more. Amazing voice.
BubbGumpShrim
I’d say stapleton is best, I’m also a big kip moore fan voice-wise. Definitely solid though
Casey Mo
💯!!