Five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan’s new song ”Up” hinges on the power of a single word. Through different uses of the word “up” — from waking “up” to growing “up” to looking “up” toward the heavens — the track takes a nostalgic look back at a rural childhood, and expresses Bryan’s enduring faith.
“It talks about what I love and what’s dear to me,” the country superstar explains. “Add to that the fact that the songwriters used just a simple word as ‘up’ to create so many images is pretty special.”
Listeners will notice the rich country imagery throughout the song, which includes references to farming (“crankin’ that tractor up”), fishing (“tearin’ that crank bait up”), high school football (“runnin’ that scoreboard up”), and picking up a girl “where Heaven and a dirt road touch.” It’s deceptively simple, as songwriters Jeremy Bussey, Taylor Phillips and Bobby Pinson incorporate these classic images with an abstract storytelling flair through the clever wordplay that’s at the center of the song.
The main hook — that building repetition of “up” — both grounds the track lyrically and takes it to new heights, creating a look back to the past as well as a sense of anticipation for the future. The song’s stadium-rock feel adds another interesting dimension to its overall country sound.
Did You Know? “Up” is the sixth single off of Bryan’s most recent album Born Here, Live Here, Die Here. Previous singles from the project include “Waves,” “Down to One,” One Margarita,” “Knockin’ Boots” and “What She Wants Tonight,” all of which have reached No. 1.
Luke Bryan’s “Up” Lyrics:
Up / Early in the morning, wakin’ that sun / Up / Fillin’ that coffee, crankin’ that tractor / Up / Prayin’ it rains down on the devil’s dust / Them rows come poppin’ …
Chorus:
Up / In the sky, there’s a guy / Lookin’ down on us / Lookin’ up / Our whole life, raised up right / In a town nobody knows / What a way to grow / Up …
Rollin’ ‘round town in a hand-me-down old pickup / Pullin’ in the driveway, pickin’ that pretty thang / Up / Just layin’ low where Heaven and a dirt road touch / Holdin’ a cold one …
Repeat Chorus
Up / On a Sunday pond bank, tearin’ that crank bait / Up / Livin’ for a Friday, runnin’ that scoreboard / Up / Keepin’ that faith, waitin’ on the day he calls us …
Repeat Chorus
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