The Meaning Behind “Record Year” by Eric Church

Eric Church is one of those guys who’s always wearing sunglasses. Very few people can get away with this sort of thing. Bono, Lenny Kravitz, Richard Ashcroft, Jackie Onassis. And if you insist on walking into a room wearing Ray-Bans, you better have the goods to back it up. Eric Church has the Ray-Bans and the goods. He’s a brilliant songwriter who sings like his life depends on it and is wise enough to keep Jay Joyce by his side. The meaning behind “Record Year” by Eric Church proves there’s more to his life than a witty metaphor. 

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A Broken Heart but Not a Broken Record

Music is a refuge for many people, and though Eric Church is one of the world’s biggest country stars, he’s a fan first. “Record Year” is about Church recovering from a broken relationship; his girlfriend has left him, and he begins to heal through music.

Since you turned the tables on me
I’ve been steady and learnin’ lonely
Keepin’ this turntable spinnin’
Everything from Jones to Jennings
Slowly plannin’ my survival
In a three-foot stack of vinyl

Church and his co-writer, guitarist, and banjo player, Jeff Hyde, squeeze every last drop from the metaphor as they reference Stevie Wonder’s genius Songs in the Key of Life and Willie Nelson’s defiantly bare, Red Headed Stranger.

He flips through his vinyl collection, scouring gems from George Jones, Waylon Jennings, and James Brown. While Church finds comfort in old favorites, he also discovers the ’70s bluegrass group New Grass Revival. The beauty of music is how old groups are new to first-time listeners. Church’s discovery is a path forward as he moves on from his breakup. 

Quarter notes and Hank’s half time
Are poundin’ on this heart of mine
Song to song, I pass my time
With these speakers on ten
Your good and gone keeps me up all night
Along with Songs in the Key of Life

A country song isn’t complete unless you drown your sorrows in a glass, and Church borrows from John Lee Hooker as he sinks a bourbon, a scotch, and a beer. Church and Hyde then flip (pun intended) the script to sports with a lit-up scoreboard during his record year.

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It Must Be a Song Already

Hyde initiated the idea of “Record Year,” Church told The Boot he was shocked to learn someone hadn’t already written this song. Writing a song that’s universally accessible and unique is rare. But Hyde hit it out of the park—to carry it further—with “Record Year.”

According to Church, “Record Year” was the launch pad for his fifth album Mr. Misunderstood. He worked with long-time producer Jay Joyce to create an album celebrating his love of music. Though “Record Year” is a song about heartbreak, it’s also a love song for music. It’s a stop on the album’s Jeff Tweedy-inspired title, traversing music history with detours into country, Southern rock, gospel, rhythm and blues, and roots rock. 

An album cycling through this many genres runs the risk of sounding like nothing, but Church is unique in how he sounds genuine regardless of what he plays. Church was a marketing major in college, and some record labels spend a lot of money marketing authenticity to music fans. But Church makes their job easy because, for him, sincerity isn’t a prop. 

What I Almost Was

There’s a song on Church’s debut album called “What I Almost Was” where he reflects on the road he could have taken. He referenced his former fiancé’s father in the line Yeah, I moved on back home / And came awful close to being some son-in-law to some CEO. Instead, he moved to Nashville and chased a dream. 

One doesn’t set a college degree on the shelf and turn down a cushy job without a real fire burning in their soul. Yes, Church had the support of his father, but a life in the music business is a kind of self-punishment only known if you’ve lived it. 

Some musicians want to become songwriters. But a songwriter is just who Eric Church is. This distinction is something very different.

Can I Have a Remedy?

No one wants to be alone, which is why getting dumped hurts so much. The familiar voices in old songs heal the soul in unique ways. Listening to someone else sing about their blues reminds us we are not the only ones feeling low. 

Church found solidarity by listening to his heroes. Then, he found redemption and eventually found the way forward. But “Record Year” isn’t fiction because music was the healing property in Church’s own life. And he’s passed the elixir on to others.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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