Eric Church’s “Johnny” Was Born from a Tragedy That Still Haunts Him—Here’s the Story Behind the Song.ML

my linh1 day ago

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Eric Church once said the hardest thing he ever did was not on a stage, it was in a school parking lot. He was talking about the day after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. He had to drop his two young sons, just 13 and 10, off at their school. The feeling was something he had never felt before in his life.

As he watched his boys walk into the building, he felt completely helpless. He is 48 years old, but he said he had never felt anything like that moment. He did not know what to do. So, he just pulled his car into the parking lot and sat there. He felt like he simply needed to be there, just in case.

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When he told this story in Studio 6B, you could tell it was not easy. The entire room went very quiet. He was not a music star anymore. He was a dad, sitting in a car, worried sick. He looked around and saw other parents doing the exact same thing. They were all there together, like wolves guarding the sheep.

Sitting in that quiet parking lot, something happened. A song came on the radio. It was Charlie Daniels. The song was “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” That story about a man named Johnny fighting the devil gave him an idea. This moment of fear turned into a new song, one he knew he had to write.

Eric Church – Johnny (Official Audio Video)

Eric went home and wrote the song “Johnny.” He realized the devil was not in Georgia. The devil was right there in Nashville. The song is not just notes and words. It is about needing a hero. It is about needing Johnny to come back, pick up his fiddle, and send the devil back where he belongs for good.

Eric Church often writes about real life, but this is different. He turned a moment of great fear into a song of strength. His music shows you the hard parts of life and the will to fight back. Follow Eric Church on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. His stories are the kind that stay with you.