The Story Of Worn
If you get goosebumps listening to worn, know that every time I play it, I get them too. There are so many hidden things in this song that mean the world to me. So, let's start from the beginning. I originally got the idea while I was working on a Tuesday afternoon. I started thinking about my favorite pair of boots. The combat boots I display on my mic stand now, I used to wear all the time. I thought to myself how worn out they were, and how it couldn't be a whole lot longer before I couldn't wear them anymore. Well, as much as everyone wants a song about boots I won't be able to wear much longer, I thought I should expand on the idea. I had old worn out uniforms. Hell, I was worn out a lot of the time! Eventually I thought of the flag and how it wears in the sun m wind and sun. I knew I had something there, I just needed time to get it sorted out. By the time I had a shot to write anything it was Sunday. I'd worked all week and played both Friday and Saturday nights. Sunday came around and I was worn out!! My wife (gf at that time I guess) and her friend went out to ride horses and I sat on the tailgate with my guitar. I knew I what I wanted each verse to be about. My boots, my hands and my flag. It flowed out fairly easily. I figured out quickly that each chorus would vary from the others. I'll walk you through the important parts of the song and their significance. Of course the song begins talking about my favorite pair of boots (the ones I wear now are the exact same ones, just have some some left on em!). So the first verse isn't very deep, although I know most soldiers have their own favorite pair they've worn down to nothing. I've done it to several pairs, but that pair saw Afghanistan and several years of service. It might seem odd to some, but I promise a good part of the armed forces completely understand it.
In the second verse I talk about a scar I don't have. Right after that I tell you I got it from a 4.3 engine. If you look into military vehicles, you'll be hard pressed to find a 4.3 engine. If there is, and as a former military mechanic I don't believe there is, it's probably the same Chevy or GMC motor I'm referring to. When I came home from my first mobilization I came home to no vehicle. My brother had been driving my GMC Jimmy while I was gone and damn the luck, he blew it up. It was just a cheap 88 GMC Jimmy so it wasn't a huge loss. I loved that truck though. So my dad (a much better mechanic than I'll ever hope to be) helped me build an engine. It took us about two weeks of working every night on it to get it done. That was way back in 2004. I still think of that experience as one of my favorite memories with my dad. Now before that starts springing leaks in any of your eyes, know my dad is still up and kicking and still making memories with us. So for anyone wondering, that's why I decided on the 4.3 engine. Moving on from there I sing about moving dirt and stacking bales... well I live on a funny farm. My wife keeps collecting freeloading animals... we have plenty of bales stacked up.
That takes us to the third verse. She's seen Normandy and Omaha (beach). My Grandpa was a WW2 vet. He landed at Normandy shortly after DDay. I can't even begin to imagine how that was for him. I'm grateful for him and those like him that stood up to fight. He spent the better part of 4 years serving overseas for you and me. He was a hero. He was my hero. He wasn't alone though. I threw in Iraq for my brothers and sisters I know personally that served there. I threw in Vietnam because those vets got a raw deal and anything I can do to thank them, I'll do it. Coming home to be disrespected was complete bs. They deserve so much better and I make it a point to thank every one of them I meet. Afghanistan, well, that's where I flew the flag I fly now at almost every show. I mean it too... when I say to me she ain't just a flag... she means a whole lot more than just a piece of fabric. She stands for every sacrifice my fallen brothers and sisters made, and the sacrifice those that are still here made. That's why I'll always stand for the anthem.
Now... by the time I got the third verse written I knew I had something good. Then the final line came to me. On my last day, they lay her over me, then fold her up for my family. I still tear up most times I play it. When I played it to the wife and her friend when they rode by I could see the response it got. I knew I had something big then. So far, the love I've gotten for Worn surpasses everything else I've written. I'm beyond grateful. I love that I was able to make a video with my brothers and sisters in arms for it as well. It makes it special to me in a way no other song I've written so far can be. I'll never get tired of hearing it, playing it and hearing fans tell me what it means to them.
