“I don’t think there’s any better feeling than making someone genuinely feel something with your art.” Corey James 2017
Mountain Home, Idaho has produced some really fine down-home authentic Country music. One source of that music is Corey James. I was privileged to find Corey through the Idaho Songwriters Association. He is a Front Man. That is the leader, the singer and the producer of the music that sets the band apart. Fronting for Fall Creek String Band is perfect for Corey James’ traditional Americana sound.
Throughout history, from the beginning of Song, music has carried the stories of the people who lived simply. From songs, we learn about the everyday activities that occupy a life. In this country, the original folk songs are about blue tail flies, mama’s corn bread, drinking, hunting and dogs. There are many songs about fighting and dying in wars, of mining, trains, cars and natural disasters. To learn about the people, just listen to the words: the lyrics.
Corey James Grubb has many tales to tell in song. Learning Corey’s personal story adds depth of understanding.
Here is a part of Corey James’ story and a few words about his process as a songwriter:
“I took a serious interest in music when I was a youngster, probably about 5-6 years old. I started playing at about 15.
“My dad was always listening to Bob Dylan, J.J. Cale, The Rolling Stones – stuff like that… Something about the struggle and history of all that old stuff just grabbed me right from the start.
“I didn’t really pay much attention to traditional Country music until my grandfather passed away in ’09. He was really into Hank Williams Sr., Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Johnny Cash. I listened to nothing but Hank [Williams] Sr. and Tennessee Ernie [Ford] for about a year. That’s pretty much what got me interested in Country Music. It made me feel like I was still connected with my grandparents in a way.
“The songwriting process is always hit and miss. A great idea can come out of nowhere. Even in the middle of a conversation sometimes.
“There’s not really any one way to write, or any trick formula to it. Sometimes it starts with a song title, a catchy line or phrase, a melody, or an interesting guitar riff.
“I’m a very patient songwriter. If I find myself stuck on something for too long, I tend to set it aside and pick it back up another time when I’m fresh. That can be a bad thing at times. Songs most generally come from a certain feeling you have at that point in time, and a lot of times [if you wait until later], if you don’t finish it, you lose that initial feeling and you can never really get it back.
“The best songs are the ones that you scribble down on a napkin in a cafe in 5 minutes.”
“As for performing, I’ve known since I was about 10 that I wanted to be a Performer.
“I was the class clown, always doing random reenactments, and singing for friends and family [as I was] growing up. I got my start playing at Cal’s Bar in Mountain Home, with Lyle ‘Pops’ Evans from Chris Ledoux’s band ‘The Western Underground’.”
I write this column because I love the stories behind the songs. Every song has a story. You learn so much about a person when you know what inspired a song.
What triggered that moment when something in the artist’s mind connected with something unseen to begin the song? When I know the story, the song has a deeper meaning.
Corey James‘ song, One For the Road, is rooted in self-destruction. It began with a DUI. He says, his guitar flew out of the bed of his truck and it scared him. He thought it was broken. Note: Although he was feeling no pain, he was together enough to put his guitar in its case before putting it in the back of his truck, so the guitar came out alright.
In this article, I am including the YouTube video of Corey singing the song in its original form.
Here are the lyrics:
One For the Road
Words and Music by Corey James copy right 2017
For years, I’ve been searchin’ for answers,
to questions I don’t understand.
I guess that’s why I’m always runnin’,
and I bury my head in the sand.
Spent all my money on courage,
In a smoky old bar room downtown
Bartender, pour me a bourbon
You know, the bottle never lets me down
Give me one for the road, before I go.
No, I don’t give a damn if I never get home.
The pain I’m in cuts to the bone,
So give me one for the road.
I’ve done my fair share of damage,
I’ve suffered a heartache or two.
I’ve been known for takin’ advantage.
You know, my lies ain’t too hard to see through.
She left me a little unstable.
Lord, it’s hard to believe that she’s gone.
I came home to a note on the table,
tellin’ me where I went wrong.
Give me one for the road, before I go.
No, I don’t give a damn if I never get home.
The pain I’m in cuts to the bone,
So give me one for the road
You know, the pain I’m in cuts to the bone.
So give me one for the road.
At 25 years of age, Singer-Songwriter, Corey James is producing more than songs. In the tradition of the American Dream, Corey is producing a business. Mountain Records is being brought into being by a man from Mountain Home, Idaho: Front-Man, Corey James.
Contact Patti Jo Roth-Edwards:
I am offering a note of gratitude to a skilled and talented editor my readers and I effectionately call “Editor Ed”. His patience and endurance is impressive. This article looks good because of his attention to detail.
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