Hilton moved to Los Angeles to launch himself as a musician. After releasing a self-titled independent CD, he signed to Warner Bros. imprint Maverick Records, which released his major-label debut The Tracks of Tyler Hilton the same year that Hilton made his acting debut starring as the musically talented but totally arrogant Chris Keller on the second season of One Tree Hill. Other roles followed, including playing Elvis Presley in the critically acclaimed Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, co-starring in the indie film Charlie Bartlett with Robert Downey Jr., and returning to One Tree Hill for its final season in 2012.
Yet while his cover songs appeared on the Grammy Award-winning Walk the
Line soundtrack and his Americana-flavored originals were featured on each
of One Tree Hill’s popular soundtracks, Hilton had yet to release another full- length album of his own. He recorded one, The Storms We Share, in the fall of 2010, but its release was thwarted by a shake-up in leadership at Warner Bros. “So much had gone down at the label and I just wasn’t up for going another round with them,” Hilton says. In December, he was released from his contract, with the label retaining the rights to The Storms We Share. “At that point, I was really down on the music industry,” he says. “I wasn’t even sure I wanted to make another album.”
But, being an artist, Hilton did what artists do and channeled all of his frustrated emotions into a batch of songs, the bulk of which make up his new album Forget the Storm, which Hilton has released on his own label, Hooptie Tune Records. “It was the first time in nine years that I was in a position to make music without asking anyone’s permission,” he says. The result is a spirited and engaging collection that finds Hilton finally representing who he truly is both personally and artistically.
What inspired Hilton to begin writing again was the sheer thrill of playing live. “I was booked to play a residency at the Hotel Cafe´ not long after leaving the label and I was not looking forward to it,” Hilton admits. “I thought, ‘I don't care if anyone comes, I’m only going to play music that I want to play, and if people don't like it, I've got one foot out the door anyway.’" He asked two of his friends, musician/songwriters Dave Hodges and Steve Miller, to join him. “I said, ‘I'm not going to pay anything, but if you guys want to have some drinks and mess around on stage, let's do it. I want to do a lot of covers; I want to do some blues songs."
The Hotel Cafe´ shows were packed each night. “We were doing Stones, Dylan, and Ryan Adams covers and lots of blues, and at the end of it I remembered that I love playing music,” Hilton says. “I thought if I’m ever going to do another record, it should have this vibe. What’s the worst that could happen? I had been playing by the rules and it hadn’t worked.”
Hilton began writing with Hodges (a songwriter who has worked with Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, and Christina Perri) and his guitarist Steve Miller, and over the course of a few months, came up with the songs on Forget the Storm — a title he calls “a direct reference to throwing away my last record and starting over, and also because it’s an album about leaving s**t behind.”
Lyrically, the album is an unflinchingly honest piece of work that finds Hilton reflecting on his relationship with himself, with his loved ones, and even with music — reveling in the good, owning up to the bad, and examining everything in between. “You could probably learn more about me by listening to this album than you could by talking to me for an hour,” he says. “It’s very personal and much closer to who I really am than what I’ve revealed in the past, but it's easier to write from that place when you have nothing left to lose.”
Fittingly, Forget the Storm opens with a song inspired by his heartbreak over the music industry: “Kicking My Heels,” which his fans went crazy over when he premiered it on an episode of One Tree Hill. “That song is the darkest part of the album for me because it’s reminder of how a lot of bad can come out of having time on your hands and not being sure of what you're going to go next. During the months before I started writing I had no focus. I felt rudder-less. The one good thing was having someone I loved in my life, which is what the song is about.” The album’s first single “Prince of Nothing Charming” finds Hilton trying to get to the heart of who he is in a relationship. “Sometimes I don't have it all together,” he admits. “I space out on things, I drink too much. There are a lot of things you could take aim at me for. But I’m drawn to the idea of a couple who really love one another despite all the cracks and flaws.” “Jenny” and “Can’t Stop
Now” also offer a realistic look at love and the compromises one makes, while “I Belong” is the antidote, describing how it feels to be in a relationship that truly works.
Though fans of Hilton’s strummy pop songs will find plenty to like on Forget the Storm, the album also charts new territory with two songs, the rockabilly- flavored, sexually charged “Loaded Gun” (which he wrote with country artist Deana Carter) and the untamed stomper “Ain’t No Foolin’ Me,” both of which Hilton is looking forward to playing live when he hits the road this year. “There are times when you just want to rock out onstage,” says Hilton, who has entertained audiences across the country both as a headliner and with such artists as Taylor Swift, Gavin DeGraw, and Goo Goo Dolls. “I play all kinds of styles of music in my show and the audiences seem to really love the rock and roll moments.”
Most of all, Hilton is excited to finally have a new full-length album for his fans who’ve stuck with him for so many years. “I kept giving them what I called half- assed EPs that were the best I could do in the situation I was at with Warner Bros.,” he says. “But with an album, you have a chance to change direction and try something new rather than perpetuating the sound you already have. This record was the first opportunity I had to say something different. It's a clean slate.”
Keep On
Tyler Hilton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
how's the story about the first one
Who tought'em how to hurt
Let their hopes astray
When it's gone on quite enough
And you're sick of staying down
I know what you need
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong be strong
When you can't understand, but you're starting to see, it'll work in the end
You just got to believe, keep on keep on
I had my ideals, my plans were cutting dry
I will settle for a thing, yeah
You can forget all compromise
But I was tackled like a wave
And stomped on like the ground
Once we'll never change
Will slowly turning round
'Cause when you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong be strong
When you can't understand, but you're starting to see, it'll work in the end
You just got to believe, keep on keep on
Yeah you can take it from me,
there's so much you can be,
and it's all gonna change whether it's you or them or me.
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, just be strong be strong
And when you can't understand, but you're starting to see, it'll work in the end
You just got to believe, keep on keep on
Keep on, keep on, keep on...
In Tyler Hilton's song Keep On, he describes the story of someone who has been hurt in the past and has lost hope. He acknowledges that everyone knows someone who has been hurt and who has had their hopes and dreams dashed away. However, when it has gone on long enough, and they are tired of feeling down, they need to start living their life as if it sounds. He emphasizes that when you lose what you love, you need to keep on living, and when the road gets rough, you need to be strong. Even when we don't understand how things will work out, we need to believe that it will work, and we need to keep on keeping on.
Tyler Hilton emphasizes that we need to believe in our potential to become so much more than what we are now, and it doesn't matter who we are, whether it's you, me, or them. If we keep on despite the uncertainty or the rough patches on our journey, then we will work it out, and everything will be alright. He sings the chorus several times, reiterating that you need to keep on keeping on, despite the challenges and hurts that you may face, and that you must have faith that it will work out.
Overall, Tyler Hilton's song Keep On emphasizes that no matter what happens in life, we have to keep on living and pushing forward towards our dreams. The song recognizes that life can be challenging and that it isn't always easy to understand why things happen, but we must continue to believe in ourselves and our potential, and we have to keep on keeping on.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody knows
Everyone is aware
how's the story about the first one
The tale of how someone hurt others is well-known
Who tought'em how to hurt
Who showed others how to cause pain
Let their hopes astray
Led them to lose their aspirations
When it's gone on quite enough
When it has gone on for too long
And you're sick of staying down
And you're tired of feeling down
I know what you need
I understand what you require
You gotta live it like it sounds
You should live your life in a way that reflects your beliefs
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When you lose something you cherish, keep living your life
When the road gets too rough, be strong be strong
When the journey becomes too difficult, be resilient
When you can't understand, but you're starting to see, it'll work in the end
When you are confused, but things are beginning to make sense, they will eventually work out
You just got to believe, keep on keep on
You must trust and persist
I had my ideals, my plans were cutting dry
I had my own beliefs and strategies in mind
I will settle for a thing, yeah
I won't sacrifice anything
You can forget all compromise
You should abandon any inclination to compromise
But I was tackled like a wave
But I was suddenly and powerfully overwhelmed
And stomped on like the ground
And treated harshly and contemptuously
Once we'll never change
Some things will remain the same
Will slowly turning round
Will gradually move in a new direction
Yeah you can take it from me,
You can trust me
there's so much you can be,
You have a lot of potential
and it's all gonna change whether it's you or them or me.
Things will shift, whether it's you, them, or me who initiates the change.
Keep on, keep on, keep on...
Persist, keep going
Writer(s): Tyler Hilton Copyright: Nomad-noman Music, Ty Britt Music, Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Contributed by Isabelle H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dex Scene
Corrected Lyrics:
Everybody knows, or has a story about "the first one"
Who taught them how to hurt, and led their hopes astray
When its gone on quite enough and you're sick of staying down
I know what you need, but you gotta live it like it sounds
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong, be strong
What you can't understand, but you're starting to see
it'll work in the end, you just got to believe
And keep on, keep on
Keep on keep on
I had my ideals, my plans so cut and dry
I wouldn't settle for a thing
And you can forget all compromise
But I was tackled like a wave, stormed on like the ground
What once would never change, was slowly turning 'round
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong, be strong
What you can't understand, but you're starting to see
it'll work in the end, you just got to believe
And keep on, keep on
Keep on keep on
Yeah You can take it from me, there's so much you can be
And it's all gonna change, whether it's you or them or me
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong, be strong
What you can't understand, but you're starting to see
it'll work in the end, you just got to believe
And keep on, keep on
Keep on keep on
Hot_Wheels_68
This song is so inspiring. My favorite song, from my favorite singer! :)
5NJackson2
I love Tyler Hilton, him and his music has managed to pick me up so many times, when everything has gone wrong his voice makes everything so much better, he is my idol
kawaiiaix
such a great song :) Thank you :)
Dex Scene
Corrected Lyrics:
Everybody knows, or has a story about "the first one"
Who taught them how to hurt, and led their hopes astray
When its gone on quite enough and you're sick of staying down
I know what you need, but you gotta live it like it sounds
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong, be strong
What you can't understand, but you're starting to see
it'll work in the end, you just got to believe
And keep on, keep on
Keep on keep on
I had my ideals, my plans so cut and dry
I wouldn't settle for a thing
And you can forget all compromise
But I was tackled like a wave, stormed on like the ground
What once would never change, was slowly turning 'round
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong, be strong
What you can't understand, but you're starting to see
it'll work in the end, you just got to believe
And keep on, keep on
Keep on keep on
Yeah You can take it from me, there's so much you can be
And it's all gonna change, whether it's you or them or me
When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong, be strong
What you can't understand, but you're starting to see
it'll work in the end, you just got to believe
And keep on, keep on
Keep on keep on
itslizsmiles
our savior, dex! what will we do without you. thanks for the corrected lyrics!! have a nice day!
mariakathi
thank you awesome song !
brendiuw
If u had tO sing a song for the rest of ur life wich one would u choose? KEEP ON - TYLER HILTON!
Joy H
@LEONTIENFLUSSIE lyrics are actually "I had my ideals, my plans so cut-and-dry, I wouldn't settle for a thing, yeah, you can forget all compromise" ... "once we'll never change, we're slowly turning 'round" And cut-and-dry means final/will not be changed. In other words, he thought things would never change and he would never change.
Leontien Flussie
what does 'my plans were cutting dry' mean ? =)
Já Parou Pra Pensar?!
@LEONTIENFLUSSIE i think it means to be focused in your plans, as if you're not ready to change them yet.