Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you new tunes with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in title or lyrics. In his 2017 release, “The Long Way,” country star Brett Eldredge meets the girl of his dreams — his diamond — and wants to get to know her better by exploring her history and hometown. He’d love to see where her daddy met her momma, and learn about the “faults and glories” that made her the person she is today.
The recurring line, “Take me the long way around your town,” reflects Eldredge’s willingness to let the relationship develop slowly while he gets to know what’s in her heart and soul.
He sings, “Take me the long way around your town / Were you the queen with the silver crown? / I want the secrets you keep, the shine underneath / Of the diamond I think I just found / Take me the long way around.”
Co-writer Matt Rogers introduced Eldredge to the basic premise of “The Long Way” during their first-ever songwriting session, and Eldredge added the part about exploring the girl’s hometown.
“In a world where we don’t have conversations anymore,” Eldredge told Taste of Country. “I wanna sit down and have a conversation. Put away the phones, put away everything and I wanna get to know you as a person. I want to get to know your heart.”
The 32-year-old admitted to ABC Radio, that the themes in “The Long Way” reflect the love he’s hoping to find.
“I want to have somebody, along with me, along for the ride and share that with them,” he told ABC Radio. “I’m opening up more to it, and I think now, yeah, something like ‘The Long Way’ is what I’m looking for.”
“The Long Way” was the second single released from Eldredge’s self-titled studio album. The single shot up to #7 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and the Billboard Canada Country chart. The album earned four out of five stars from AllMusic and placed #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Born in Paris, Ill., in 1986, Brett Ryan Eldredge was inspired as a child by the songs of Ray Charles, Ronnie Dunn, Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra.
“My family started to have me sing the National Anthem at family parties,” he recalled. “I’d get real nervous, and then someone would give me a candy bar or $5, and I’d sing. My body would shake. They’d call it the man voice, because I had this older voice coming out of a kid’s body.”
Eldredge signed with Atlantic Records in 2010 and performed at the Grand Ole Opry later that same year. He was named the CMA Awards New Artist of the Year in 2014.
Please check out the video of Eldredge performing of “The Long Way” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in November of 2017. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“The Long Way”
Written by Brett Eldredge and Matt Rogers. Performed by Brett Eldredge.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen your kind of pretty
Wandering ’round this midnight mad house city
You got a look that says you got it all together
So if you don’t mind, I’d like to know you better
Take me the long way around your town
Were you the queen with the silver crown?
I want the secrets you keep, the shine underneath
Of the diamond I think I just found
Take me the long way around
I’d love to see just where your daddy met your momma
Your hand-me-down ’99 Impala
Show me the field you danced in Clover
The harvest in October
When the leaves fall from the sky just like a Sunday drive
Take me the long way around your town
Were you the queen with the silver crown?
I want the secrets you keep, the shine underneath
Of the diamond I think I just found
Take me the long way around
I didn’t think tonight when I walked in
I’d be falling for somewhere I’ve never been
Take me the long way around your town
Were you the queen with the silver crown?
I want your red blushing stories
Your faults and your glories
That made you who you are right now
Take me the long way around
Take me the long way around
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.