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Eric Church: Live at Stagecoach
08/30/24 | 1h 20m 14s | Rating: TV-G
Join the seven-time ACM Award winner for a 2024 concert at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, that showcases his trademark passion for pushing boundaries and presenting fans with the unexpected.
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Eric Church: Live at Stagecoach
ANNOUNCER: This program is available with Passport because of your generous donation to your local PBS station.
Thank you.
REPORTER 1: The problems for Eric Church are that he's an obviously limited singer.
REPORTER 2: It's a shame that Church's debut album sounds so anonymous.
REPORTER 3: He lacks a hit that could make him a serious contender.
MAN: We will have to consider dropping you from the label.
REPORTER 4: It is a really different album from most others.
REPORTER 5: It's a surprise standout.
REPORTER 6: Eric Church is a country music sellout.
REPORTER 7: And his live shows are now more about spectacle than substance.
REPORTER 8: Church's lyrics place him in league with those who seem weird by conventional wisdom, but are destined for greatness none-the-less.
REPORTER 9: Over the last 20 years, Eric Church has gone from outsider to country music superstar.
INTERVIEWER: Okay, I'm gonna read you a Stagecoach review.
"Career suicide, Eric Church "played an hour-and-a- half-long acoustic medley "with a gospel choir during headlining Stagecoach set and people were not happy."
ERIC: Yeah?
INTERVIEWER: How does that review make you feel?
ERIC: Would it- would it surprise you to say, good.
JOHN: We got an offer for Stagecoach for Eric Church to headline.
In any kind of multi-genre or multi-act situation, you better kind of understand your environment.
Oftentimes by the time you- you headline these festivals, sometimes you are not the hottest act of- of the moment, but you might be iconic and you might have things to say.
So I got on the phone with Eric and said, "I think you're gonna lose."
And we are used to being a little bit of the underdog, but we are not used to losing.
The best move for us was gonna be, do something different.
And in Eric fashion, he was like, "We should do more than that."
ERIC: I was thinking about my journey.
I started out seven, eight years old, Baptist church, North Carolina, and I was honestly sitting on my couch one day and just started moving through hymns and then I started moving to soul stuff.
I started moving to covers and I worked my way through, you know, my musical journey.
And then I thought, "Okay, "well, that would be kind of interesting if we never stopped."
I don't wanna view the Stagecoach set as songs.
I- I view it as one piece of work.
And you're really kind of going back in time musically, like, we're using voice and we're using my guitar and we're gonna go in front of 80,000 people, where everything before that has been as big of a bombast as you can get.
And we're gonna be the opposite of that.
And we're gonna take it back to the genesis of music of where this all started at a church piano with a choir.
You really get to look at musically, what made me the artist I am.
And it just started to germinate as an idea.
BILLY: How he presented it to me was Stagecoach, me and a choir.
That's it.
KRISTEN: We had no idea what this was gonna sound like.
BILLY: Yeah.
This is the biggest curve ball I've ever been thrown by a long shot.
(laughs) JOHN: Yeah, it was a freaking scramble.
So Eric, you really went after it and really started wood shedding pieces of what he thinks he could string together and everyone is kind of piling on to try to organize it.
I have the longtime production designer, Butch Allen, come to my office.
I drew a little thing on my- on my book and Butch took that away.
TODD: The big challenge was the people who build all of our sets and stages, Tait Towers out of Pennsylvania, they stayed- you know, sometimes booked a year in advance.
They jumped on board and said, "We're gonna get this done somehow."
JOHN: Then if you think about having that thing be able to be built, painted, constructed, deconstructed, fixed, packed up, sent to California, reassembled for the end of April, it's really insane.
BILLY: Part of my challenge to Kristen Rogers was we need to find a choir full of people who are capable of memorizing a show like this.
KRISTEN: We had everything to them in advance so everybody could study, get it all right.
Because we really only had four days.
ERIC: The first rehearsal was a little bit of where, I don't think anybody really knew what we were trying to do.
I think everybody was looking at me going, what are we doing?
MAUREEN: There was some nervous energy.
KRISTEN: But then Eric walked in and then everybody turned on.
(laughs) ARMAND: He made it seem like we were creating together.
CRAIG R.: It was just like a regular rehearsal, like a church rehearsal really.
EMMANUEL: It was just a good time.
ERIC: They were great.
They had their parts.
They were just waiting on me to get mine.
It was the hardest thing I've ever done musically.
I mean, I have more hours rehearsing on the Stagecoach show than any show of my life.
BILLY: As we got into understanding the arc of the show, that's where we decided to get the band involved at the end.
CRAIG: About a week out?
Less?
We get the text that wanna have the band for the big finale at the end of this thing.
DRIVER: We weren't thrilled that we were kind of being sidelined.
JEFF: And at first obviously I didn't- I- I didn't get it.
I was like, you want us to go out, play Stagecoach and I'm gonna play like what?
Five minutes?
DRIVER: Eric likes to take calculated risks and this was definitely one of them.
BILLY: I mean, this was a big first for a lot of these singers.
GREG: I'd never been on a stage before with so many hanging lights.
People were getting nervous because they were looking up.
People were like, "Don't look up.
Don't look up."
MAUREEN: The winds were crazy high.
EMMANUEL: It's Stagecoach, so you know it's gonna be a lot of people.
You're prepared for that mentally until you actually see it.
(laughs) And then it's like, oh.
ERIC: And I could tell that a lot of the choir was, you know, a little intimidated and I had to go, "Listen, it's gonna be fine.
"It's most important that we sing from here.
"We know we can do this.
We're doing something completely different."
And I did that part- partly because I think they needed it.
And second, because I think I needed it.
(laughs) MEESHA: Hours before the show, we didn't even know how the show was gonna start.
We had no show opening.
We had no, how are we bringing 'em on stage?
How is anybody coming on?
And we hadn't even seen the content for the video wall because that was still being rendered.
JOHN: I was in the production office editing in Garage Band, the intro to this show.
That's how tight it was.
Came down to 30 minutes before he was on stage.
ERIC: I was doing a lot of pacing.
I was doing a lot of running through what the set list was.
'cause if I screw this up, this whole thing goes off a cliff.
I miss one thing, it's over.
DEVONNE: We're standing backstage and then all of a sudden you hear like this organ music playing.
It was like, oh, we didn't hear this when we were practicing.
What is this?
Then all of a sudden you hear the crowd just go wild 'cause then Eric appears on stage.
That's when I got excited.
Like okay, it's about to go down.
Here we go, we're in it now.
(crowd cheering) ERIC: There was tension with the crowd and I think that tension only ramped up and the higher the stakes got, the more we were able to kind of dig in and stick to what we were trying to present.
I heard it was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you Well, it goes like this The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift The baffled king composing hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah (crowd cheering) Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya She tied you to your kitchen chair She broke your phone, she cut your hair And from your lips you drew a hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah (crowd cheering) Baby, I've been here before I've seen this room, I've walked this floor You know I used to live alone before I knew ya And I've seen your flag on the marble arch And love was more than a victory march It's a cold and a broken hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah (crowd cheering) There was a time when you let me know What's really going on below But you don't never show that to me, do ya Remember when I moved in you And the holy dove was moving too And every breath we drew a hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah (crowd cheering) Maybe there's a God above But all I've ever learned from love Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya And it's not a cry you hear at night And it's not someone who's seen the light It's a cold and a broken hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah Hallelujah, hallelujah (crowd cheering) I still remember Miss Bessie singing Black, wrinkled fingers on ivory keys Just five years old, my church shoes are dangling Yeah, she's long gone and I'm still chasing this song With a guitar full of freedom and a head full of lines Now this nightlife full of demons Has been a hell of a ride I got a crazy heart, and I was born to lose it I'm married to a dream with a mistress named music (crowd cheering) No hope and squarely solitary Enough whiskey and coke Get out of southern California in a bind Amps juiced, the whole damn block could hear me Even that cop car rolling past By the time they hit the front door I was out the back With a guitar full of freedom and a head full of lines Now that nightlife full of demons Has been a hell of a ride I got a crazy heart, and I was born to lose it I'm married to a dream with a mistress named music La-da-da, la-da- da, la-da-da-dah La-da-da, la-da- da, la-da-da-dah White calloused fingers on bronze and nylon Same old boots still tapping time Not quite the buzz I used to tie on at Stagecoach 'Til I'm gone, I'll be chasing these songs Carolina born and raised That's where I spent my younger days Yeah, back-row sinner, Baptist Church I went down in the water and I sang these words Amen Amen Amen Oh, Amen Amen, amen, amen Give it to me now Amen, amen, Amen, amen, amen Yeah-Oh Amen Amen now folks Amen Amen Amen, amen, amen Yeah, swing low Amen Sweet chariot Amen Comin' for to carry me home Amen Swing low Amen Sweet chariot Amen, amen Comin' for to carry me home Amen Well, I looked over Jordan Amen And what did I see Amen Comin' for to carry me home Amen I'd seen a band of angels Amen Comin' after me Amen, amen Comin' for to carry me home Amen Yeah, swing low Amen Sweet chariot Amen Comin' for to carry me home Amen Swing low Amen Sweet chariot Amen, amen Comin' for to carry me home Amen Yeah, this little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine (singers harmonizing) Now this little light of mine Say, this little light of mine I'm gonna let it shine I'm gonna let it shine This little light of mine This little light of mine, Lord I'm gonna let it shine I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine Let it shine Oh, everywhere I go, Lord I'm gonna let it shine Oh, everywhere I go, Lord I'm gonna let it shine Ooh, say, everywhere I go I'm gonna let it shine I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine Let it shine Let it shine Let it shine Let it shine Yeah, man Oh, when the saints Amen Go marching in Amen Oh, when the saints Amen Go marching in Amen Oh, I want Amen To be in that number Amen When the saints Amen Go marching in Amen Oh, come on now.
Yeah, when the saints Amen Go marching in Amen When the saints Amen Go marching in Amen Oh, how I want Amen To be in that number Amen When the saints Amen Go marching in Amen Oh, and when the saints Amen Go marching in Amen (choir vocalizing) Some glad morning when the life is over I'll fly away To a home on God's celestial shore I'll fly away Yeah, I'll fly away, oh glory I'll fly away When I die, hallelujah by and by I'll fly away Come on, mama.
Yeah, I saw the light, I saw the light And no more darkness, no more night Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight I praise the Lord, I saw the light I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin I wouldn't let my dear savior in Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night Praise the Lord, I saw the light Yeah, I saw the light I saw the light I saw the light I saw the light, oh And no more darkness, no more night And now I'm so happy, there's no clouds in my sight Praise the Lord, I saw the light Praise the Lord, I saw the light Praise the Lord, I saw the light (crowd cheering) People get ready There's a train a-comin' Don't need no baggage You just get on board All you need is faith To hear the diesel hummin' Don't need no ticket You just thank the Lord Ooh, people get ready There's a train a-comin' And you don't, you don't need no ticket Just get on board Yeah.
All you need is faith To hear the diesel hummin' Oh, you need no ticket Just thank the Lord (crowd cheering) Oh, oh, oh Praise the Lord (choir cheering) (choir vocalizing) (choir vocalizing) Yeah, I don't know why I love her like I do All the changes that you put me through You take my money, take my cigarettes And I haven't seen the last of you yet I wanna know, won't you tell me Am I the one to stay, hey, ooh Take me to the river Wash me in the water Oh, yeah Take me to the river, oh, yeah Wash me in the water Turn the quiet up Turn the quiet up Turn the noise down Turn the noise down Let this ol' world just spin around Spin around I wanna feel it swing, I wanna feel it sway Put some feel- good in my soul Take me to the river Yeah Wash me in the water Take me to the river Wash me in the water I want a little more right A little more right And a little less left And a little less left Little more right now A little less what's next Act like tomorrow's ten years away Put some feel- good in my soul Now take me to the river Wash me in the water Take me to the river Wash me in the water Take me to the river (singer vocalizing) Wash me in the water (singer vocalizing) Take me to the river Oh, oh, yeah, yeah Wash me in the water Oh, oh, yeah, yeah Boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo Boo boo boo boo boo, boo boo Boo boo boo boo boo Boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo boo boo Boo boo boo boo boo I said hey Hey What can I say I'm a desperate man I said hey Hey What can I say I'm just a desperate man Say, boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo boo Boo boo boo boo boo I say, boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo Take me to the river Boo boo boo, boo boo boo boo Wash me in the water Boo boo boo, boo boo boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo Take me to the river Boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo boo Wash me in the water Boo boo boo, boo boo boo Boo boo boo, boo boo (choir harmonizing) Ooh!
(choir harmonizing) (choir harmonizing) (choir cheering) SINGERS: Yeah, yeah, yaay!
SINGER: Yeah, come on.
When the night has come And the road is dark And the moon is the only light you'll see (choir cheering) No, I won't be afraid No, I won't shed a tear Just as long as you stand Stand by me Now, darlin', darlin' Stand by me, oh, stand by me Oh, stand Oh, oh, oh Stand by me Whenever you're in trouble Won't you stand by me Oh, stand by me Oh, stand, stand by me Oh, oh, oh So, darlin', darlin Stand Oh, oh, oh Stand by me (all cheering) ERIC: Yeah, baby.
Yeah, your love keeps lifting me higher Than I've ever been lifted before So keep it up and fuel my desire I'll be by your side ever more Yeah, your love Your love keeps lifting me Keep on liftin' Love keeps lifting me Yeah, liftin' me Liftin' me Higher and higher Higher Yeah, your love Your love keeps lifting me Oh-ooh Love keeps lifting me Yeah, liftin' me Lifting me Higher and higher Come on, mama.
Higher (rhythmic clapping) Yeah, your love Your love keeps lifting me Keep on liftin' Love keeps lifting me Yeah, liftin' me Lifting me Higher and higher Higher Yeah, your love Your love keeps lifting me Keep on liftin' Love keeps lifting me Yeah, liftin' me Lifting me Higher and higher Higher Yeah liftin' me higher and higher Higher Yeah, liftin' me higher and higher (crowd cheering) Oh, happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day When Jesus washed When Jesus washed When my Jesus washed When Jesus washed When my Jesus washed When Jesus washed He washed my sins away Oh, happy day Oh, happy day He taught me how to wash Fight and pray, fight and pray And he's rejoicing every, everyday Everyday Oh, happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day When Jesus washed When Jesus washed Oh, when my Jesus washed When Jesus washed When my Jesus washed When Jesus washed All my sins away Oh, happy day Oh, happy day He taught me how He taught me how To wash To wash Fight and pray Oh he taught me how to fight and pray Fight and pray And he brings me joy And he brings joy Every, everyday Oh everyday Everyday Everyday, oh happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day When my Jesus washed When Jesus washed My Jesus washed, ooh When Jesus washed My Jesus washed When Jesus washed Washed my sins away Oh, happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day Ooh, happy day Oh, happy day Oh, happy day, yeah Oh, happy day (crowd cheering) I was fifteen when my daddy's old man Caught me half way through my first beer He laughed so hard when my face turned green He said, you come from a long line of sinners like me La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah Me and my brother go to see him some times He don't have much to say anymore So we sit on his headstone with a fifth of Jack D Here's to a long line of sinners like me La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah La dah dah dah dah dah dah, la dah dah dah dah dah People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one We've just begun Think I'm gonna have a son He will be like she and me, as free as a dove Yeah, conceived in love Sun is gonna shine above Even though we ain't got money I'm so in love with you, honey And everything will bring a chain of love In the morning, when I rise You bring a tear of joy to my eyes And tell me everything is gonna be all right Seemed like a month ago, I was Beta Chi Yeah, I never got high I was such a sorry guy Now, I smile and face the girl that shares my name Yeah, I'm through with the game Boy'll never be the same Even though we ain't got money I'm so in love with you, honey And everything will bring a chain of love In the morning, when I rise You bring a tear of joy to my eyes And tell me everything is gonna be all right (crowd cheering) Put on my blue suede shoes And I boarded a train Touched down in the Delta Blues In the middle of the pouring rain W.C.
Handy Won't you look down over me I got a first- class ticket And I'm blue as a boy can be Then I'm walking in Memphis Walking in Memphis I'm walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale Oh, oh, oh Walking in Memphis Walking in Memphis But do I really feel the way I feel Saw the ghost of Elvis On Union Avenue Union Avenue Followed him up to the gates of Graceland Then I watched him walk right through Walk on right through, yeah Now security they did not see him They just hovered around the tomb Now, there's a pretty little thing Waiting for the king Down in the Jungle Room Ooh, ooh, ooh Walking in Memphis Walking in Memphis Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale Oh, oh, oh Walking in Memphis Walking in Memphis But do I really feel the way I feel Walking in Memphis Walking in Memphis Walking with my chill feet ten feet on the floor Oh, oh, oh Walking in Memphis Walking in Memphis But do I really feel the way I feel Oh, oh, oh The way I feel Walking, walking in Memphis (crowd cheering) 'Til I'm gone, I'll be chasing that song 'Til I'm gone, I'll be chasing that song 'Til I'm gone, I'll be chasing that song 'Til I'm gone, I'll be chasing that song (crowd cheering) They're the in crowd, we're the other ones It's a different kind of cloth that we're cut from We let our colors show, where the numbers ain't We're the paint where there ain't supposed to be paint That's who we are That's how we roll The outsiders The outsiders Yeah, our women get hot, and the leather gets stained When we saddle up and ride 'em in the pouring rain We're the junkyard dogs, we're the alley cats Keep the wind at our front, and the hell at our back That's who we are We do our talking, walk that talk Wide open rocking That's how we roll Our backs to the wall A band of brothers Together, alone, the outsiders Oh, oh We're the riders We're the ones burning rubber off our tires Yeah, we're the fighters Oh The all-nighters Oh So fire 'em up and get a little higher Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh LA's fine, the Sun shines all the time And the people are laid back Palm trees grow and rents are low But you know I keep on thinkin' about Making my way back Yeah, I'm New York City born and raised Nowadays, I'm lost between two shores WOMAN: Wooo!
Yeah, LA's fine, but it ain't home New York's home, but it ain't mine no more I am, I said I am To no one there I am And no one heard at all Not even the chair I am, I cried I am I am, said I I am I am lost and I can't even say why Keepin' me lonely still Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey I gave a girl a ride in my wagon She climbed in and took control She was tired and her mind was a-draggin' She said get some sleep, we'll get on down that road And like a picture she was laying there Moonlight dancing off her hair She woke up and took me by the hand We made love in my Chevy van And that's all right with me Yeah, her young face was like that of an angel And her long legs were tanned and brown You'd better keep your eyes on the road, boy You'd better slow this vehicle down And like a picture she was laying there The moonlight dancing off her hair She woke up and took me by the hand We made love in my Chevy van And that's all right with me (choir cheering) That's right.
With so much drama in the LBC It's kind of hard bein' Snoop D-O-double-G But I, somehow, someway Keep comin' up xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxx nearly every single day May I kick a little something for the Gs And make a few ends as I breeze through Don't you know it's two in the mornin' And the party's still jumpin' 'Cause your momma ain't home We've got xxxxxxx in the livin' room gettin' it on And they ain't leavin' 'til six in the mornin' So what you wanna do I got a pocket full of xxxxxxx and my homeboys do, too So turn off the lights and close the doors But what We don't love them xxxx And we're gonna smoke an ounce to that Gs up, xxxx down, all you xxxxxxxxxxxx bounce to that Yeah, I'm rollin' down the street, smokin' indo Sippin' on gin and juice Laid back With my mind on my money and my money on my mind Rollin' down the street, smokin' indo Sippin' on gin and juice Laid back With my mind on my money and my money on my mind (crowd cheering) How you guys doin'?
(crowd cheering) (choir vocalizing) California knows how to party California knows how to party In the city of LA In the city of good ol' Watts In the city, the city of Compton Keep it rockin' Keep it rockin' Keep it rockin' Keep it rockin' Shake, shake it, baby Shake it Shake it, shake it Shake it, shake it Shake it Shake it, Cali Shake, shake it, baby Shake it Shake it, shake it Shake it, shake it Shake it Shake it Cali California knows how to party California knows how to party In the city of LA In the city of good ol' Watts In the city, the city of Compton Keep it rockin' Keep it rockin' Keep it rockin' Keep it rockin' Shake it, shake it Shake it Shake, shake it Shake it, baby Shake it, shake it, shake it Oh, oh, oh Shake it Cali Oh, oh, oh Shake it, shake it, shake it Oh, oh, oh Shake it, shake it, shake it Shake it Shake it Cali Hey Dig, dig, gravedigger Dig, gravedigger, dig A-work that shovel with vigor, gravedigger 'Fore rigor mortis sets in big Dig, dig, gravedigger Dig, gravedigger, dig That big ol' hole just keep getting bigger So dig, gravedigger, dig A-dig, gravedigger, dig Now, he don't mind the cadavers He don't mind human remains He got no problem sleeping at night Ain't nothing a little whiskey can't tame Yeah, I asked about ghosts and spirits I asked him if he ever got spooked I asked him if he ever got haunted by souls But he reckons that he buries them, too Now, he ain't bothered by corpses Hell, he'll plant stiffs all day See, he's on some kind of piece-work deal He gets paid by the grave Now, dig, dig, gravedigger Dig, gravedigger, dig A-work that shovel with vigor, gravedigger 'Fore rigor mortis sets in big Dig, dig, gravedigger Dig, gravedigger, dig That big ol' hole just keep getting bigger So dig, gravedigger, dig Now, dig, gravedigger, dig Now, dig, gravedigger, dig Now, dig, gravedigger, dig Like a honeybee beating on my screen door Hum, hum, hum, hum, hum I got a little buzz and my head is sore And from my bed I can feel the Sun Yeah, Lord 'round here the morning come Hum, hum, hum, hum Just a-creepin' Creepin', creepin', creepin' Yeah, head for the future Run from the past Hide from the mirror Live in a glass What dreams forget, the whiskey remembers It's kinda like molasses in late December Just a-creepin' Creepin', creepin', creepin' Just a-creepin' Creepin', creepin', creepin' Yeah, just a-creepin' Creepin', creepin', creepin' Just a-creepin' Creepin', creepin', creepin' Now take me home Ho, ho, home Ho, ho, ho, home Ho, ho, ho, home Ho, ho, ho, home Ho, ho, ho, home Ho, ho, ho, home (crowd cheering) Amazing grace How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost, but now I'm found Was blind, but now I see 'Twas grace that taught my heart to feel And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed Amazing grace Amazing grace How sweet How sweet The sound The sound That saved That saved A wretch A wretch Like me Like me I once was lost, but now I'm found Was blind, but now I see I was blind, but now I see (crowd cheering) I'm a long-gone Waylon song on vinyl I'm a back-row sinner at a tent revival She believes in me like she believes her Bible And loves me like Jesus does I'm a lead foot leaning on a souped-up Chevy A good-old boy, drinking whiskey and rye on the levee But she carries me when my sins make me heavy And loves me like Jesus does All the crazy in my dreams Both my broken wings Every single piece of who I am Yeah, she knows the man I ain't She forgives me when I can't The devil, man, no, he don't stand a chance 'Cause she loves me like Jesus does (crowd cheering) I always thought he'd give up on me one day Wash his hands of me, leave me staring down some runway Oh, but I thank God each night, and twice on Sunday He loves me like Jesus does He loves me like Jesus does (crowd cheering) All the crazy in my dreams And both my broken wings Every single piece of who I am Yeah, she knows the man I ain't She forgives me when I can't The devil, man, no, he don't stand a chance 'Cause she loves me like Jesus does (choir vocalizing) Yeah, she knows the man I ain't She forgives me when I can't The devil, man, no, he don't stand a chance (choir vocalizing) 'Cause she loves me like (crowd cheering) Jesus does (crowd cheering) Joanna Cotten (crowd cheering) La-da-da, la-da- da, la-da-da-da La-da-da, la-da- da, la-da-da-da La-da-da, la-da- da, la-da-da-da La-da-da, la-da- da, la-da-da-da (crowd cheering) I'm drivin' in my car Turn on the radio (choir cheering) I'm pullin' you close You just say no You say you don't like it But, girl, I know you're a liar 'Cause when we kiss Ooh, fire, fire Oh, Romeo and Juliet Samson and Delilah Now, baby you can bet Their love they didn't deny But your words say split But your words they lie 'Cause when we kiss Ooh, fire, fire Fire, fire There'll be fire on the mountain I had a revelation last night SINGER: Yes sir.
A divine inspiration from the other side Of what it's gonna take to right all this wrong We need a country music Jesus to come and save us all We need a second coming worse than bad A long-haired hippie prophet A-preachin' from the book of Johnny Cash A sheep among the wolves there standin' tall We need a country music Jesus to come and save us all There'll be fire on the mountain There'll be revival and bangin' drums There'll be screamin' and there'll be shoutin' When my country music Jesus comes Now we've had our believers in the past Ahh, ahh And they gave us a message that would last Ahh, ahh They built our house on a foundation of stone God send a country music Jesus to come and save us all There'll be fire on the mountain There'll be revival and bangin' drums There'll be screamin' and there'll be shoutin' When my country music Jesus comes (choir vocalizing) There'll be fire on the mountain There'll be revival and bangin' drums And bangin' drums There'll be screamin' and there'll be shoutin' When my country music Jesus comes When my country music Jesus comes (choir vocalizing) ERIC: Oooh!
RONNIE: Is the heart on fire your light?
Oh, come on, I can't hear you, say, heart on fire?
Heart on fire Yes, my heart is on fire Heart on fire Yes, my heart is on fire Heart on fire Yeah, my heart is on fire Heart on fire My heart's on fire, fire Is your heart is on fire Heart on fire Yeahhh Fire Stagecoach, how are y'all doin' tonight?
Y'all doin' all right?
Are y'all enjoyin' Eric Church and the Church Choir?
I can't hear you.
Let me hear you say yeah Yeah Say yeah Yeah Say yeah Yeah Oh yeah Oh yeah Say fire Fire Say fire Fire Say fire Fire Say fire Fire Say my heart's on fire My heart's on fire Yes, my heart's on fire My heart's on fire Yes, my heart's on fire My heart's on fire Say, my heart's on fire My heart's on fire (choir harmonizing) Fire, fire, yeah My heart's on fire Heart's on fire Say my heart's on fire My heart's on fire Say, my heart's on fire Heart's on fire Say, my heart's on fire Heart's on fire Yeah Heart's on fire My heart's on fire Yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah Yeahhhh Heart's on fire SINGER: All right.
Y'all ready to have a good time?
RONNIE: Stand up, everybody clap your hands.
Everybody clap your hands.
Everybody clap your hands Hallelujah, fire Yeah Yeah Heart's on fire Yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah (both vocalizing) With a guitar full of freedom and a head full of lines That nightlife full of demons has been a hell of a ride I got a crazy heart, and I was born to lose it I'm married to a dream with a mistress named music I'm married to a dream with a mistress named music La-da-da, la-da- da, la-da-da-dah La-da-da, la-da- da-da, la-da-da-dah (crowd cheering and applauding) (crowd cheering and applauding) To this day, when I hear that song I see you standing there on that lawn Discount shades, store-bought tan Flip-flops and cut-off jeans Somewhere between that setting Sun I'm on Fire and Born to Run You looked at me and I was done Just getting started I was singing to you, you were singing to me I was so alive, never been more free Fired up my daddy's lighter and we sang, oh, oh, oh, oh Stayed there 'til they forced us out And took the long way to your house I can still hear the sound Of you saying, don't go When you think about me Do you think about 17 Do you about my old Jeep Think about the stars in the sky Funny how a melody sounds like a memory Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night Springsteen (choir vocalizing) I bumped into you by happenstance You probably wouldn't even know who I am But if I whispered your name I bet there'd still be a spark Back when I was gasoline And this old tattoo had brand new ink Didn't care what your mom would think 'Bout your name on my arm Baby is it Spring or is it Summer The guitar sound or the beat of that drummer You hear sometimes late at night on the radio Even though you're a million miles away When you hear Born In The USA You relive those glory days so long ago When you think about me Do you think about 17 Do you think about my old Jeep Think about the stars in the sky Funny how a melody sounds like a memory Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night (choir vocalizing) Springsteen Springsteen Oh, Springsteen Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh oh oh Funny how a melody sounds like a memory Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night Springsteen Yeah, Springsteen Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh Springsteen (crowd applauding) Thank you guys very much.
(crowd applauding) CRAIG R.: After the show, the feeling was relief.
(laughs) Oh my gosh, it happened.
We did it.
We made it.
We survived.
(laughs) MEESHA: Everybody was on a cloud nine by that time.
RONNIE: Yeah, when we got off that stage, oh, we lost it.
KRISTEN: And Eric came back and he was so stoked.
(laughs) ERIC: I felt great 'cause I knew the performance was good.
And we went up on the bus and- and my wife Catherine wrote, "Mission accomplished" on the set list.
JEFF: Let's get the hell outta here.
CRAIG: Please, let's leave.
JEFF: It was a feeling of dejection.
DEVONNE: Maybe 45 minutes into the set, started seeing people just walk out in droves.
CRAIG: I think we bamboozled the audience and that was a problem.
JEFF: They would yell, you know, ah, and they'd yell and then they would leave.
CRAIG: Watching people give us the finger and scream, "F-you."
ERIC: Kind of thought it would happen and kind of wanted it to happen in a way, 'cause I knew it would create the kind of response that I wanted to create, which was a challenging response.
But I was mainly focused on the execution of the performance because I knew that we needed to be great in order for this to live beyond the last note on that night.
BEN: We were all refreshing our phones to see who's gonna- who's gonna drop that bomb first?
And the first one we saw was the one everyone knows, "Career suicide."
CRAIG: Every bit of press was bad.
Friday night, Stagecoach, they don't wanna be preached at.
They want Eric Church.
They didn't want church Eric.
KRISTEN: It's so easy in his space to do what everybody wants you to do.
People will let you know what they want.
They can leave you a comment right in a place where if you want to, you can see it.
JOHN: These- these reactions, we are way too sensitive to in the moment.
Making a conclusion, judging, all the things we do through anonymity of social media and things like that.
It means something, but it doesn't mean everything.
And I think it's gonna hurt art if you let that get to you.
And there's gotta be people that are going to push through it and go, "I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do and I'll let the chips fall where they may."
And Eric's one of those people.
ERIC: Online discourse doesn't mean anything to me.
I've been doing this too long.
It still comes back to the performance.
I was happy with the performance.
I was proud of us for going into a situation like that and doing something different.
ARMAND: I'm glad they weren't all positive because it- it sparked a conversation.
How much do the fans control what the artist does?
JOHN: And what do we want from our artists?
Do we want them to just do what they are supposed to do?
Do we want them to lead us in a territory that's unknown?
BILLY: Are you an artist or are you an entertainer?
Who dictates what you do?
Eric clearly is- is an artist.
CRAIG: Ah man, we're entertainers.
We're there to entertain.
We're not there to- to piss people off.
I don't think it's fair to experiment on that kind of an audience in that way.
DEVONNE: Artists want the opportunity to be different sometimes and not do what they always do.
ERIC: The more the artist is engaged, the more they're challenged, the better show the fans are gonna get.
That's what makes a one-of-a-kind show.
Otherwise, I would've went out and played my show, got paid, flown back to Nashville.
JOHN: Music without risk.
We might as well just be doing karaoke.
DRIVER: How cool was it that an artist actually did something artistic?
DEVONNE: And I hope in 20 years that this sets a standard for other artists that it's okay to step out of the box.
MAUREEN: I think this is something that will stand the test of time.
CRAIG R.: When you say his name, guaranteed, they'll remember the performance.
JOHN: I feel in time, this will be a very memorable moment for both Stagecoach and Eric Church.
ERIC: Oh, I think it's gonna be a defining moment in my career.
INTERVIEWER: Would you do it all over again?
ERIC: Yes.
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