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Instruments tuning

>> Check. Check 1, 2. Check.

Tuning continues

Cheers and applause

>> Oh, hello.

Cheers and applause

Let's do the dang thing.

"Drunk In Heels" plays

Tired, tired, dog-ass tired, tired down to the bone I did a 40-hour week at the Quickie Mart and another 35 at home Dead, dead, the walking dead, dead right on my feet I'd like to put on my pajamas and go to bed, but no one in the house would eat If I go to work, I have to make up my whole face And if once a month I want to shoot the whole damn place, well, I just have to deal If I bring home the bacon, I have to fry it up in a pan Now, I ain't saying that it's easier to be a man, but let's get real When we get drunk, we do it in heels Dirty, dirty, my house is so dirty, I've forgotten what it looked like clean It's so sad that my husband went blind and can't see the dishes sitting there in the sink Loving, loving, he'd like a little loving, and I'd like to fulfill his dreams But right now I'm so tired, him fixing that oven is a sexier thing to me If I go to work, I have to make up my whole face And if once a month I want to shoot the whole damn place, well, I just have to deal If I bring home the bacon, I have to fry it up in a pan Now, I ain't saying that it's easier to be a man, but let's get real When we get drunk, we do it in heels Yeah, they might be in style, but until you've walked that mile, you'll never know how hard it is to keep yourself from falling When you're up there and you're carrying it all and On the tightrope of my life, the man and the babies and the 9 to 5 I might've looked sexy while I'm jugglin', but I'm strugglin' When we go to work, we have to make up our whole face And if once a month we want to shoot the whole damn place, well, we just have to If I bring home the bacon, I have to fry it up in a pan Now, I ain't saying that it's easier to be a man, but let's get real When we get drunk, we do it in 5-inch-platform Louboutin stiletto pumps We doooo it, we do it in heeeeeels Oh!

Cheers and applause

Thank you very much. Welcome, everybody.

Cheers and applause

What a pleasure to get to be here with you this evening and celebrate the craft of songwriting. Because while I love the music -- I'm sorry I'm in your way, Kenny. Don't mind me. Just move me over. While I love getting to perform, I love getting to tell stories and write those stories as much as I do to perform them. And tonight, we get to talk a little bit about some of these songs, some of their inspirations, how they happened. That last song, it's called "Drunk in Heels." I wrote it with a writer named Brandy Clark. She's all over my new record, and she's all over her own records. She is a fantastic artist in her own right and has written, also, so many hits that you probably know off of the radio. And she actually -- she inspired that song by saying, "Oh, I want to write a song about the saying, you know, 'Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels.'" She said, "But I want to call it 'Drunk in Heels,'" and I don't know exactly how to go about that. And she lobbed that out there, and a few months later, we were on tour together, and I had a baby that I was still breastfeeding at the time. And I was exhausted on all different levels because baby -- no sleep, road -- no sleep. So nobody was sleeping, and I got inspired and ran on her bus, and the rest is history. She happens to be here this evening. Put your hands together for Ms. Brandy Clark.

Cheers and applause

Let's do one of yours. >> Let's do it. >> You want to tell them about it? >> Yes, I would love to. Actually, Jennifer Nettles has a lot to do with why I recorded this song. I've told her this before, but -- >> It's about me.

Laughter

>> That'd be great if it was, actually, wouldn't it? >> Great publicity. >> Yeah. I wrote this with a guy named Scott Stepakoff, actually, and I always liked the song a lot. But I wasn't pushed over the edge by it until Jennifer heard it and loved it and said some things about it that were really nice, and I thought, "Man, if Jennifer Nettles thinks it's that good, I better record that."

"Love Can Go To Hell" plays

Love can go to your head like a shot of something strong Love can go to your bed and stay there all night long Love can go on and on like a Sunday-morning sparrow Love can go to your heart like a sweet-talkin' arrow Love can go to hell in a broken-heartbeat minute That's where I am without you in it Every day is just another night by myself Love can go to hell Like roses in a vase of whiskey, dyin' for the way you used to kiss me Heaven knows, I only wish you well Oh, but love, yeah, love can go to hell I can go to church and fold these idle hands I can go to work, call some friends, make some plans I can get drunk on a Saturday night and try to fall for someone new But I just wake up hung over, cursin' the day I fell for you Love can go to hell in a broken-heartbeat minute That's where I am without you in it Every day is just another night by myself Love can go to hell Like roses in a vase of whiskey, dyin' for the way you used to kiss me Heaven knows, I only wish you well I don't blame you at all No, I don't hate you at all It's all loooooooove's fault So love can go to hell in a broken-heartbeat minute That's where I am without you in it Every day is just another night by myself Love can go to hell Like roses in a vase of whiskey, dyin' for the way you used to kiss me Heaven knows, I only wish you well Oh, but love, yeah, love can go to hell "Forever's" just a lie that love will tell So love, yeah, love can go to hell

Cheers and applause

>> Brandy Clark. >> Thank you, guys.

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>> Yes. I find -- I like to write songs for different reasons, and some of them are... some of them are charact-- They're all characters, but some of them are characters that are not me. Some of them are for the sake of storytelling, and some of them are more confessional. And while I appreciate both, it seems that sometimes the more confessional ones come... well, they just come in a different way. And this song is one of the more confessional. I find that, sometimes, people get afraid of your dreamer, 'cause, really, they're afraid of their own, right? And this next song is about that, and it is about embracing that dreamer and...yeah. Don't listen to the haters. This song's called "Stupid Girl."

Cheers and applause

"Stupid Girl" plays

Stupid girl How could you think that you could take those wings and fly so close to the sun? Do you like to fall for fun? Ohhh, stupid girl How dare you to try to bring your dark to the light To live your life undivided Take your unhappy and hide it You got to hold yourself back, put yourself last, never first Always make 'em laugh, say you're sorry, don't make it worse Take a deep breath, give 'em what they want and smile All my life, I've tried to do what's right But I'm a leaver who can't leave well enough alone I'm a seeker, an unholy rolling stone And it might be stupid, but that stupid girl ain't wrong No Stupid girl What else could you want? How could you ask for something more? With all the gifts you are given, ain't it enough to just be livin'? You got to hold yourself back, put yourself last, never first Always make 'em laugh, say you're sorry, don't make it worse Take a deep breath, give 'em what they want and smile Oh, all my life, I've tried to do what's right But I'm a leaver who can't leave well enough alone I'm a seeker, an unholy rolling stone And it might be stupid, but that stupid girl ain't wrong There are no answers without questions, even if they're wrong How else you gonna learn all the lessons? We only get this one trip, so lose the fear, loose the grip, and throw the lines from the ship And take it all my life Ohhhh, all my life, I've tried to do what's right But I'm a leaver who can't leave well enough alone I'm a seeker, an unholy rolling stone And it might be stupid But that stupid girl ain't wrong I'm not wrong

Cheers and applause

Thank you very much. I wrote this next song with Brandy Clark and with another writer, named Shane McAnally.

Cheers

And -- Yes. He is a hitmaker. And originally, I had come in with this very clever idea that I wanted to write a song about a woman who was waiting at the bar -- she was at a bar, she was trying to find a date, so to speak. She was trying to, you know, whatever -- hook up. And -- but she wasn't having any takers, and I wanted to call it "Straight But No Chaser." And he didn't think that was very funny, and he -- but he very diplomatically said, "I like the 'chaser' part." So, yeah, so we wrote this next song, and it is called "Chaser."

Cheers and applause

"Chaser" plays

I wanna be the one, not the one after the one that breaks your heart I wanna be the fire, not the cool that soothes your tongue after the spark Don't wanna be an afterthought Don't wanna be the aftershock when you've had a double shot of her I wanna be the taste you crave, not just some call you make when you're dying of thirst And I know, I know, I know, I know that I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't ever learn And if you go, you go, you go, you go But I wanna be the one that makes you burn and never burn out Wanna make you burn all the way down Are you feeling me now? I don't wanna be your chaser, chaser, second in line, waiting on my turn I don't wanna be your chaser, chaser, wanna be the one that makes you burn I wanna be the name, the only name that's on your lips when you're alone I wanna be the first, not the next one on the list in your phone Don't wanna be the old fallback, the one you never did call back even though I waited all night long Straight up or on the rocks, don't wanna take the edge off when a drink is too strong And I know, I know, I know, I know that I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't ever learn And if you go, you go, you go, you go But I wanna be the one that makes you burn and never burn out Wanna make you burn all the way down Are you feeling me, feeling me burn and never burn out? Are you feeling me burn all the way down? Are you feeling me now? I don't wanna be your chaser, chaser, second in line, waiting on my turn I don't wanna be your chaser, chaser, wanna be the one that makes you burn Burn, burn, like an old Scotch whisky Drink it down slow, pour it all night long Burn like a heat every time you kiss me Like these words pouring off my tongue

Cheers and applause

>> This next song, I wrote with Brandy Clark, as well. And she had said to me, at one point -- clearly, we talk a lot, just in general, because she's always saying something that then turns into a song. But she said, "You know, you can't unring a bell." And I thought, "Hmm. Yeah. that's true." You know, like once you know something, you can't unknow it. You can accept it, you can deal with it, you can deny it and pretend, but the reality is, you can't unknow it or even forget it, really. And that is part of the inspiration behind this next song. This song was the first single off my new album, and it's called "Unlove You."

Cheers and applause

"Unlove You" plays

I could break down and cry Laugh it off and deny Draw lines in the sand And count on both hands All the reasons why This just won't work It'll be nothing but hurt I can swear that I don't And maybe one day, I won't But for how hard I've tried I can't unlove you And my heart can't unbreak I can't unfeel how it felt To feel so much myself My whole body ached And I can't unknow this Lord, I wish I knew how But I can't unlove you So come love me for now If I were 25 I know just what I'd do I would have already kissed Till I was drunk on your lips A thousand times too few But we have other lives And we know it ain't right This is going nowhere If I'm with you, I don't care Take me nowhere tonight They call it fire But it feels just like drowning With the weight of my burning desire Closing in all around me I wasn't lost until you found me And I can't unlove you And my heart can't unbreak I can't unfeel how it felt To feel so much myself My whole body ached And I can't unknow this Lord, I wish I knew how But I can't unlove you So come love me for now I can't unlove you So come love me for Nooooooooooooow, ooh, owww

Cheers and applause

Thank you very much.

Cheers and applause continue

This is a song about a blossoming. It's called "Want To."

Cheers and applause

"Want To" plays

I packed a cooler and a change of clothes Let's jump in, see how far it goes You got my heart in your daddy's boat We got all night to make it float We could sit on the shore We could just be friends Or we could jump in Whole world could change in a minute Just one kiss could stop it spinning We could think it through But I don't want to if you don't want to We could keep things just the same Leave here the way we came With nothing to lose But I don't want to if you don't want to No I got your ring around my neck And a couple of nights I don't regret You got a dream of a degree And a shirt that smells like me Yeah, we both got dreams we could chase alone Or we could make our own Whole world could change in a minute Just one kiss could stop it spinning We could think it through But I don't want to if you don't want to We could keep things just the same Leave here the way we came With nothing to lose But I don't want to if you don't want to Never waste another day Wonderin' what you threw away Holding me, holding you I don't want to if you don't want to We could keep things just the same Leave here the way we came With nothing to lose But I don't want to if you don't want to But I want to But I want you

Cheers and applause

Thank you very much.

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So, when I was invited to come be a part of this series, the invitation was also opened up if I wanted to bring other artists, other songwriters with me, songwriters with whom I have worked or songwriters to whom I looked up. And both are the case -- not only with Brandy, but also with this next artist. I don't even know -- It's been years ago since I first met Amos, and I love his work, and he brings the spirit everywhere he goes. As a matter of fact, that's the name of his latest album, is "Spirit." Give it up for Mr. Amos Lee.

Cheers and applause

We're gonna do a little song for you. Amos, you chose this one. And I'm so glad you did. I haven't done it in a long time. It is a beautiful song. It also hearkens to that idea that I was talking about, how country music celebrates brokenness. And this song basically celebrates that whole theme. This song is called "Very Last Country Song." [ "Very Last Country Song" plays ] Today is my birthday And all that I want Is to dig through this big box of pictures in my kitchen till the daylight's gone This one here's my mama With the long, brown hair I'm 40 years older today than she was in that picture there But if life stayed the way it was And lovers never fell out of love If memories didn't last so long If nobody did nobody wrong If we knew what we had before it was gone If every road led back home This would be the very last country song >> These are all my babies Lord knows how we've survived The first one was hard, and the last wasn't planned What a big surprise >> That's him with his daddy's eyes >> I loved the man in this one It's faded, but I don't care There are nights when I wake and I know he's beside me, I swear >> Sometimes I still feel him there But if life stayed the way it was And lovers never fell out of love If memories didn't last so long If nobody did nobody wrong If we knew what we had before it was gone If every road led back home >> This would be the very last country song >> If we knew what we had before it was gone If every road led back home >> This would be >> The very last country song

Cheers and applause

>> Amos Lee.

Cheers and applause continue

Thank you. This song is called "Way Back Home."

Cheers and applause

"Way Back Home" plays

Gonna need some more gold Workin' as hard as I can To build it, my next gilded cage with my own two hands I've made some mistakes I'm gonna make some more But I'm clear They brought me here A world worthy of making them for I'm taking off my armor Already cut to the bone The prodigal daughter On her way back hooooooome Burn the maps to this place I don't need one, anyway I can find you by charting the lines to every smile on your glorious face The past is behind me Always there to remind me To haunt me, to scare me, to taunt me, to dare me to jump and fly I'm taking off my armor Already cut to the bone The prodigal daughter on her way back hoooooooooooome I'm alive and wide awake Better that my heart should break Than forget how to feel So here's to chance And something reeeeeeeeal I belly up, and they ask "Girl, what'll you have?" Take one and double up Drown myself in the beautiful struggle of a life well lived And a love worth earning And a big heart to give To the one fiery soul who can handle my burning I'm taking off my armor Already cut to the bone The prodigal daughter on her way back hooooooome Way back hoooooooooooooome Gonna need some more gold Workin' as hard as I can

Cheers and applause

Thank you. One moment. I'm being Southern. Normally, they're bringing out the hook, but I love that.

Laughter

Well, heck! It's real fun.

Light applause

"Hey Heartbreak" plays

Hey, Sleepless, my eyes are red Why don't you get out of my bed? I don't want to watch the fan no more And hey, Crazy, that's enough I'm sick of tripping on all your stuff scattered across my bedroom floor Hey, Heartbreak, gimme your key It's you, it's not me Oh, you only bring me down, down, down, down Hey, Heartbreak, don't come back I swept up your shattered glass What goes around is coming back around, 'round, 'round, 'round Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Oh! Hey, Laughter, where's your smile? Haven't seen it in a while And I miss the drunken nights Hey, Lonely, won't you leave me alone? If you call me, ain't nobody home Go find somebody else 'cause I'm going out tonight Oh! Hey, Heartbreak, gimme your key It's you, it's not me Oh, you only bring me down, down, down, down Hey, Heartbreak, don't come back I swept up your shattered glass What goes around is coming back around, 'round, 'round, 'round Hey! Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you, you, you, you, yeah Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you Oh! Everything I thought that I needed, turns out I had Everything I thought that I wanted, I'm giving back I'm starting to mend, it's beating again Everything I thought that I needed, turns out I had Everything I thought that I wanted, I'm giving back I'm starting to mend, it's beating again >> Hey, Heartbreak, gimme your key It's you, it's not me >> Oh, you only bring me down, down, down, down Everything I thought that I needed, turns out I had Everything I thought that I wanted, I'm What goes around is coming back around, 'round, 'round, 'round Oh, it's coming around >> Heartbreak, I'm breakin' >> It's coming around Heartbreak, I'm breakin', >> Breakin' up with you >> Heartbreak, I'm breakin' Stop bringin' me down, bringin' me down Bringin' me dooooooown You, you, you, you, yeah Heartbreak, I'm breakin' >> Breakin' up with you >> Heartbreak, I'm breakin' >> Breakin' up with you >> Heartbreak, I'm breakin', breakin' up with you

Cheers and applause

Thank you. You know, I was thinking about -- you know, I was thinking about "Sugar." Let's do it. >> Whoo! Sugar Sugar Sugar Come on Sugar They like their Domino, their Sweet'n Low, their cookie cutter queens Simple syrup overdose and the cotton candy greens Little pink package you put me in Servin' it up like saccharin Always had a bitter taste to me And all the boys say Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme some of that sugar Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme something sweet They want my sugar and spice and everything nice And they're beggin' for a taste of my cherry pie But I'm never, never, never, never, ever gonna give 'em a piece Ha ha ha. Mama always told me that it takes a little bit of honey If you wanna attract yourself a bee But I kinda like it with a little sting I'm gonna make 'em buzz when they hear me sing And they'll swarm around me like I was a queen And all the boys say Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme some of that sugar Whoo! Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme something sweet They want my sugar and spice and everything nice And they're begging for a taste of my cherry pie But I'm never, never, never, never, ever gonna give 'em a piece Hey! Hey! No, never Hey! Hey! >> Never >> Don't you go a-changin' 'Cause they only like you one way Oh, but this girl you see She's just pieces of me And I'm more than just a topping Not your marshmallow frosting On your Betty Crocker chocolate cake Got

"Whatta Man" plays

Any funky thing What a man, what a man, what a man What a mighty good man >> Mighty, mighty good man >> What a man, what a man, what a man What a mighty good man >> Such a mighty good man >> What a man, what a man, what a man What a mighty good man >> Mighty, mighty good man >> What a man, what a man, what a man What a mighty good man Unh, unh

Rapping

Here I go, here I go, here I go again Girls, what's my weakness? >> Men >> Okay, then, chillin', chillin', mindin' my business Yo, Salt, I looked around, and I couldn't believe this I stared, I swear, my niece, my witness The brother had it goin' on like somethin' kinda Unh Wicked, wicked Have to kick it I'm not shy, so I asked for the digits A ho? No, that don't make me See what I want, slip slide to it swiftly Felt it in my hips, so I dipped back into my bag of tricks Make me wanna do flips, make me wanna do tricks Don't know how you do the voodoo that you do So well, it's a spell, hell, makes me wanna shoop shoop shoop Shoop ba-doop Shoop ba-doop Shoop ba-doop ba-doop ba-doop Shoop ba-doop Shoop ba-doop Shoop ba-doop ba-doop Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme some of that sugar >> Shoop ba-doop ba-doop >> Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme something sweet Heeey They want my sugar and spice and everything nice And they're begging for a taste of my cherry pie But I'm never, never, never, never, ever gonna give 'em a piece No, I'm never, never, never, never, ever gonna give 'em a piece Noooo Never, never, never, never ever gon' give 'em a piece Hey! Hey! No, never Hey! Hey!

Cheers and applause

Thanks, guys. Oh! Appreciate it. Appreciate it. This song is called "Stay."

"Stay" plays

I've been sittin' here staring at the clock on the wall And I been layin' here prayin' Prayin' she won't call It's just another call from home You'll get it and be gone, and I'll be crying And I'll be begging you, baby, beg you not to leave But I'll be left here waiting With my heart on my sleeve Oh, for the next time we'll be here Seems like a million years And I think I'm dying What do I have to do to make you see? She can't love you like me Why don't you stay? I'm down on my knees I'm so tired of being lonely Don't I give you what you need? When she calls you to go There is one thing you should know We don't have to live this way Baby, why don't you stay? Yeah Oh, I, oh, I, ohhhhhhhh You keep telling me, baby, there will come a time When you will leave her arms and forever be in mine Well, I don't think that's the truth And I don't like being used And I'm tired of waiting Mmmmmmm It's too much pain to have to bear To love a man you have to share Why don't you stay? I'm down on my knees I'm so tired of being lonely Don't I give you what you need? When she calls you to go There is one thing you should know We don't have to live this way Baby, why don't you stay? I can't take it any longer But my will is getting stronger And I think I know just what I have to do I can't waste another minute After all that I've put in it I've given you my best Why does she get the best of you? So the next time you find You wanna leave her bed for miiiiiiiiiiiine Why don't you stay? I'm up off my knees I'm so tired of being lonely You can't give me what I need When she begs you not to go There is one thing you should know I don't have to live this way Baby, why don't you stay? Yeah Oh, I, oh, I, ohhhhhhhh

Cheers and applause

Thank you very much.

Cheers and applause continue

So, we cannot end on the note of "Stay." We got to pick it up. I wrote this song -- Well, I'm still -- I feel like, you know, we go through these transformations, the metamorphosis, if you will, so many times in life. But I find that people want us to stay small. They just want you to stay small, 'cause that makes them feel safe. And I say with this song, "Please don't stay small." We're ready.

"Playing With Fire" plays

Laughs

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell I'm tired of being perfect And I'm bored of being good And I've done my time and had my fill Of acting like I should I've colored right inside the lines Now I wanna make a mess And I don't care if it offends you 'Cause I ain't trying to impress I wanna flirt with my own fear Wanna dance with my desire Playing with fire I wanna walk down every street In that dress I shouldn't wear Just to show the whole damn world Just how little that I care If I see something that I want Gonna reach right out and take it And if this service don't bring smiles You know I ain't gonna fake it I wanna flirt with my own fear Wanna dance with my desire Playing with fire Playing with fire Playing with fire I'm choosing door number 4 If they're offering me three I wanna make a choice that's got nothing to do With no one else but me And I'm tired of scripted lines That have been so well rehearsed And for just one

bleep

time I wanna put my own self first I wanna flirt with my own fear Wanna dance with my desire Playing with fire Playing with fire Playing with fire You know, I just might learn That I really like to burn Playing with fiiiiiiiiiiire Here's the way the world sits to me Good girls rarely make history You gotta take a risk if you want a story There's a real fine line between content and boring Break the bar, don't just raise it higher You done the work, you get to play with Playing with fire Playing with fire You know, I just might learn That I really like to burn Playing with fire You know, I just might learn That I really like to burn Playing with fiiiiiiiiiiiire Here's the way the world sits to me Here's the way the world sits to me

Cheers and applause

Thank y'all so much. What a pleasure. Come see us on the road. Thank you, Brandy Clark. Thank you, Amos Lee. Mwah! Scott Patton, Phil Kronengold, Andy Keenan, Josh Day, Annie Clements.

Cheers and applause

Don't wanna be an afterthought Don't wanna be the aftershock When you had a double shot of her I wanna be the taste you crave Not just some call you make When you're dying of thirst And I know, I know, I know, I know That I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't ever learn And if you go, you go, you go, you go But I wanna be the one that makes you burn And never burn out Wanna make you burn All the way down Are you feeling me now >> To learn more about "Front and Center," go to frontandcenter.com. >> Second in line, waiting on my turn I don't wanna be your chaser, chaser Wanna be the one that makes you burn >> Citi is a proud sponsor of the "Front and Center" music series. For access to live music, sports, dining, family entertainment, and more, visit citiprivatepass.com. >> Student Transportation Inc. is a proud sponsor of "Front and Center," focusing on safety, security, and environmentally friendly fuels. Student Transportation Inc. -- innovators leading the way.