Story Behind The Song

This is the first collaboration between David James, Andrea Crimmins and I (Peter Renfree). David James contacted Andrea with the story idea for this song. As the three of us have experienced the loss of our music for a long period of time, and found our way back to it eventually, this song was a natural for us. Andrea wrote the bulk of the lyric with Davids input and after letting me read it, I knew I had to record it. I'm not really a country/western performer, so I had to reach into my childhood and pull out my recollections of my dad and his love of country music to make this track really work. Well, the result is here, you be the judge. We're all very pleased with it.

Song Description

A guy had put his music away 10 years ago, but never gave up the yearning for it. Then one day, he hears this song on the radio by "Hank". It spurs him to write a song, record it, and submit it. Then one day he hears his song on the radio performed by the same "Hank" that re-woke his music in the first place. Finally, he's winning an award for the song and "Hank" is there to present the award and congratulate him.

Lyrics

Hank On The Radio
David James/Andrea C. Crimmins/Peter Renfree © 2004

Ten years ago I put my guitar away
Stuck it in the closet, left it there to stay
Somehow I'd lost the music in my soul
Then one day I heard Hank on the radio

And I wrote a little song
About a country boy who found his way back home
Of the lessons learned
From the sweet return to all the things he'd known
And the moral of the story is
Hold on to your dreams and don't let go...
Yeah, I owe it all to Hank on the radio
Hank On The Radio

Well, I wrote it down and put it on CD
Mailed it all off to Nashville, Tennessee
And day by day I let my music flow
Then one day I heard Hank on the radio

And he sang a little song
About a country boy who found his way back home
Of the lessons learned
From the sweet return to all the things he'd known
And the moral of the story is
Hold on to your dreams and don't let go...
Yeah, I owe it all to Hank on the radio
Hank on the Radio

Well, they called my name out; much to my surprise
Walked to the stage with teardrops in my eyes
And I shook the hand of the man who may not ever realize
That he gave me so much more than just a prize...

Cause he sang a little song
About a country boy who found his way back home
Of the lessons learned
From the sweet return to all the things he'd known
And the moral of the story is
Hold on to your dreams and don't let go...
Yeah, I owe it all to Hank on the radio

He sang a little song
About a country boy who found his way back home
Of the lessons learned
From the sweet return to all the things he'd known
And the moral of the story is
Hold on to your dreams and don't let go...
Yeah, I owe it all to Hank on the radio
Hank on the Radio
Oh, I owe it all to Hank on the radio
Hank on the Radio
Thanks Hank!