Tyler Childers was born and raised in Lawrence County, Kentucky. His father worked in the coal industry and his mother is a nurse. He learned singing in church where he sang in the church choir. He started to play guitar and write songs when he was around 13. He moved from Lawrence County to Paintsville, Kentucky, where he attended Paintsville High School and graduated in 2009. Fellow country musicians Chris Stapleton and Loretta Lynn (Van Lear, KY) also hail from Paintsville. He studied for a semester at Western Kentucky University, and enrolled at Bluegrass Community and Technical College for a few semesters. He dropped out of college and did odd jobs for some time while pursuing a music career.
Childers began performing in Lexington, Kentucky and Huntington, West Virginia. In 2011, when he was 19, Childers released his first album, Bottles And Bibles. He has also released two EPs recorded in 2013 at Red Barn Radio, a radio show from Lexington. The two EPs were later released as one after the success of his album Purgatory, and reached No. 5 on Heatseekers Albums.
He had his first success with Purgatory, a breakthrough album released on August 4, 2017. The album was produced by Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson and recorded at The Butcher Shoppe in Nashville. Simpson also played guitar and sang backing vocals on the album, with Miles Miller on drums, Stuart Duncan on fiddle and Russ Paul on other instruments. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart, No. 17 on the Country albums chart and No. 4 on the Americana/Folk albums chart. In September 2018, Childers won Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Music Honors & Awards, where he gave an acceptance speech noted for its criticism of the Americana genre label, saying that "as a man who identifies as a country music singer, I feel Americana ain't no part of nothing and is a distraction from the issues that we're facing on a bigger level as country music singers. It kind of feels like purgatory."
Country Squire, a second album under the Hickman Holler label, and Childers' third overall, was released on August 2, 2019, after being announced in May 2019. This album was again produced by Simpson and Ferguson. The video of the lead single from the album "House Fire" was also released on May 16, 2019.
Childers' music is influenced by his home state of Kentucky and its connection to country music and bluegrass. He often writes about coal mining, which was his father's occupation, and its effects. Rebecca Bengal, writing for The Guardian, described Childers' songs as a "counternarrative to the outsiders who seek to perpetuate stereotypes of backwardness and poverty." Childers emphasizes lyrical content in songs, comparing the songwriting process to telling short stories.
The Gospel
Tyler Childers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
roller warnin people bout the ways of the sin
He said go out out yonder to the water and
travel cause disciples they fishers and men
Yeah disciples they were fishers and men
So I got me a job on the first boat
rowin and it's been a mighty long time
Since I sat in the house of my father
Yeah that good lovin gal of mine
I said babe I'm agoin on a little bitty
journey I'll be back when the fishin is through
While I'm away make haste to get ready for when Jesus comes for you
When the good lord comes for you
When Jesus comes for you, here it comes
Sayin shall we gather by the water, the beautiful water
Shall we gather by the water that flows from the throne of god
Well truth it lies in the love of a woman lord don't sink this boat
I got a pretty little thing waiting in
New Orleans with a dagger buy her throat
And she don't wanna do it but she's
that crazy and if I don't make it back
She'll probably die alone and cold as the Creole night turns black
Sayin shall we gather by the water, the beautiful water
Shall we gather by the water that flows from the throne of god
Shall we gather by the water, the beautiful water
Shall we gather by the water that flows from the throne of god
"The Gospel" is a song by Tyler Childers that tells the story of a man who was brought up in a highly religious household. His father was a holy roller who preached about the perils of sin and urged people to turn their lives to God. The singer of the song sets sail on a fishing boat, probably looking for a different kind of life. He leaves behind his family and his girlfriend, but promises to come back once his fishing trip is over. He tells his girlfriend to prepare to meet Jesus because he might not return.
As the song progresses, we see the singer questioning his beliefs and the lessons he learned from his father. He wonders if the truth lies in the love of a woman, which is a direct contradiction of what his father taught him. He also fears for the safety of his girlfriend, who is threatened by someone in New Orleans. The song ends with the singer questioning whether they should gather by the water, the source of life, or if they should look for truth in other places.
"The Gospel" is a thought-provoking song that explores themes of faith, love, sacrifice, and doubt. It speaks to anyone who has grown up with a strong religious background but has had to challenge their beliefs as they move through life. The song also highlights the complexity of relationships and the sacrifices people make for the ones they love.
Line by Line Meaning
I was raised in the house of a real holy
I grew up in a devout and religious household
roller warnin people bout the ways of the sin
where people were warned against sinful behavior
He said go out out yonder to the water and
My father advised me to go out to the water bodies
travel cause disciples they fishers and men
like the disciples who were fishers and were men of purpose
So I got me a job on the first boat
I found a job on a boat
rowin and it's been a mighty long time
Rowing and fishing has been my life ever since
Since I sat in the house of my father
I haven't visited my family ever since I left home
and my mother or I seen that woman of mine
I haven't seen my girl or even my mother since then
I said babe I'm agoin on a little bitty
I told my girl I'm going away for a bit
journey I'll be back when the fishin is through
that I'll come back after I'm done fishing
While I'm away make haste to get ready for when Jesus comes for you
while I'm absent you should prepare yourself for the return of Jesus
When Jesus comes for you, here it comes
When Jesus arrives, be prepared
Sayin shall we gather by the water, the beautiful water
Let's meet at the beautiful water
Shall we gather by the water that flows from the throne of god
It's a reference to the water flowing from God's throne in the Bible
Well truth it lies in the love of a woman lord don't sink this boat
The truth is that the ship won't sink because of the love of a woman
I got a pretty little thing waiting in
I have a pretty girl waiting for me
New Orleans with a dagger buy her throat
in New Orleans with a knife on her throat
And she don't wanna do it but she's
And though she doesn't want to, she would do anything for me
that crazy and if I don't make it back
because she's that devoted and if I don't return
She'll probably die alone and cold as the Creole night turns black
She'll probably perish alone and cold on the dark night in New Orleans
Shall we gather by the water, the beautiful water
Let's meet at the beautiful water
Shall we gather by the water that flows from the throne of god
It's again a reference to the holy water flowing from God's throne
Shall we gather by the water, the beautiful water
Let's meet at the beautiful water
Shall we gather by the water that flows from the throne of god
It's a final reference to the holy water flowing from God's throne
Contributed by Jeremiah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeremy
on Honky Tonk Flame
Burning my barn in this honky tonk flame. What does this mean?
Catherine
on Deadman's Curve
Love this song. So raw.
Mike oxlong
on Good Thing Windin' Down
Gotta love it
Douglas Luedeman
on Charleston Girl
He left his money with a thrash grass band.