The Truth Behind the Song #20 – Louise Parker’s ‘I’m Moving to Nashville’
Welcome to our ‘The Truth Behind the Song’ feature. For this feature, we’ve asked a number of our favourite artists to give us in-depth piece about a song that has a special place in their heart. Today we feature the wonderful Louise Parker, who gives us an insight into the meaning behind ‘I’m Moving to Nashville’.
‘I’m Moving To Nashville’ is based on a true story and is split in to three perspectives: the beginning is prior to moving, the middle is during my time there and the end is looking to the future after Nashville.
I was so certain that my career was going to take off in Nashville; I had friends and promoters encourage me to make the move who all seemed to disappear as soon as I arrived. It was an incredibly lonely and isolating time and I had an epiphany that maybe my future wasn’t in Nashville, the neon lights of Downtown weren’t all they were cracked up to be and the opportunities I thought were available were just a fantasy.
I first wrote the song as a healing process for myself whilst licking my wounds and I never thought it would come to anything but when Lawrence Gray (cajon) sat down with me to finish the song, I fell in love with it. The story is a painfully honest account of a struggling independent artist in Nashville, a story which I think we’re afraid to tell sometimes as no one likes to admit their failures. I admit to being a little ashamed when I first started playing it live too, as I didn’t want my fans to think I was being spiteful just because Nashville wasn’t my calling. To my surprise, my fans loved my fresh take on a city which is famous for being the home of country music. I should have never doubted my fans, they are the best in the world!
At the end of the day, as I say in the single, I moved to Nashville. I was brave and afforded myself the opportunity which helped me grow as an artist, make new friends and write new songs. Even though it didn’t turn out how I wanted it to, I still adore Nashville and when asked if I’d move back? Never say never!
