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.
Whitehouse Road
Tyler Childers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Layin' in the bed with bloodshot eyes
Late in the evenin' when the sun sinks low
That's about the time my rooster crows
I got women up and down this creek
And they keep me going and my engine clean
Run me ragged but I don't fret
'Cause there ain't been one slow me down none yet
Get me drinkin' that moonshine
Get me higher than the grocery bill
Take my troubles to the highwall
Throw'em in the river and get your fill
We've been sniffing that cocaine
Ain't nothin' better when the wind cuts cold
Lord it's a mighty hard livin'
But a damn good feelin' to run these roads
I got people try to tell me, Red
Keep this livin' and you'll wind up dead
Cast your troubles on the Lord of Lords
Or wind up laying on a coolin' board
But I got buddies up White House Road
And they keep me strutting when my feet hang low
Rotgut whiskey gonna ease my pain
And all this running's gonna keep me sane
Get me drinkin' that moonshine
Get me higher than the grocery bill
Take my troubles to the highwall
Throw'em in the river and get your fill
We've been sniffing that cocaine
Ain't nothin' better when the wind cuts cold
Lord it's a mighty hard livin'
But a damn good feelin' to run these roads
It's a damn good feelin' to run these roads
When you lay me in the cold hard clay
Won't ya sing them hymns while the banjo plays
You can tell them ladies that they ought not frown
'Cause there ain't been nothing ever held me down
Lawmen, women or a shallow grave
Same ol' blues just a different day
Get me drinking' that moonshine
Get me higher than the grocery bill
Take my troubles to the highwall
Throw'em in the river and get your fill
We've been sniffing that cocaine
Ain't nothin' better when the wind cuts cold
Lord it's a mighty hard livin'
But a damn good feelin' to run these roads
It's a damn good feelin' to run these roads
It's a damn good feelin' to run these roads
The song "Whitehouse Road" by Tyler Childers is about a hard-working man who lives in a rural area and enjoys the simple pleasures of life, such as drinking moonshine, sniffing cocaine, and running down the roads. He talks about his daily routine, waking up early in the morning and going to bed late at night. He has women all around the creek whom he enjoys spending time with, and he credits them with keeping him going and his engine clean. Although he is exhausted from running the roads, he doesn't complain because he knows that his lifestyle is what makes him feel alive.
He acknowledges that some people might try to discourage him and tell him that he'll end up dead if he continues living this way, but he remains undeterred. He finds solace in his buddies up Whitehouse Road, and they keep him moving even when he's feeling low. He believes that rotted whiskey can ease his pain, and running down the road helps him maintain his sanity. Even when he dies, he doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for him because he has lived life to the fullest, and nothing has ever held him down.
In summary, "Whitehouse Road" is a celebration of a man who is independent, hard-working, and happy with his simple lifestyle. He knows that living his life the way he wants it might eventually take a toll on him, but he is living his best life and doesn't regret it.
Line by Line Meaning
Early in the morning when the sun does rise
At the dawn when the first glimpse of sunlight appears
Layin' in the bed with bloodshot eyes
Feeling tired and worn out from a long night
Late in the evenin' when the sun sinks low
At sunset when the sky turns orange and yellow
Well that's about time my rooster crows
Just before the sun goes down, my rooster starts crowing
I got women up and down this creek
There are women all along the river who keep me company
And they keep me going and my engine clean
They give me the energy I need to keep moving and stay focused
Run me ragged but I don't fret
They exhaust me but I don't worry about it
'Cause there ain't been one slow me down none yet
None of them have been able to bring me to a stop
Get me drinkin' that moonshine
Give me that homemade alcohol
Get me higher than the grocery bill
Make me more intoxicated than I can afford to spend on food
Take my troubles to the highwall
Let me forget my problems
Throw'em in the river and get your fill
Put them away for good and enjoy life
We been sniffing that cocaine
We've been using drugs to stay awake and alert
Ain't nothin' better when the wind cuts cold
There's nothing better when it's freezing outside
Lord it's a mighty hard livin'
It's a tough life
But a damn good feelin' to run these roads
It's a good feeling to be on the move and free
I got people try to tell me, Red
People try to warn me
Keep this livin' and you'll wind up dead
You'll end up dying if you keep living like this
Cast your troubles on the Lord of Lord's
Give your problems to God
Or wind up laying on a coolin' board
Or you'll end up on a mortuary slab
But I got buddies up White House Road
But I have friends who keep me going
And they keep me strutting when my feet hang low
They motivate me to keep moving when I'm tired
Rotgut whiskey gonna ease my pain
Cheap whiskey will help me feel better
And all this running's gonna keep me sane
And being on the move will keep me mentally stable
When you lay me in the cold hard clay
When I'm buried in the ground
Won't ya sing them hymns while the banjo plays
Play uplifting music at my funeral
You can tell them ladies that they ought not frown
Tell the women not to worry or be sad
'Cause there ain't been nothing ever held me down
Nothing has ever been able to stop me
Lawmen, women or a shallow grave
Police, women, or even death can't keep me down
Same ol' blues just a different day
I face the same problems every day
It's a damn good feelin' to run these roads
It's great to be on the move
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tyler Childers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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