Luke Bryan Reveals Story Behind ‘Land of a Million Songs’

Luke Bryan wrote about half of the tracks on his current What Makes You Country album, including the pensive “Land of a Million Songs.” The song, written with his producers, Jeff Stevens and Jody Stevens, is, according to Bryan, his favorite song he has ever written.

“I can count on both my hands in many, many years of writing, [when] for some reason your brain has a firework moment and you come up with a title,” he tells Sounds Like Nashville. “I remember I was walking back to the songwriting room and I said, ‘Land of a Million Songs.’”

Telling his co-writers that they needed to switch gears and write that song instead, which says, “You’re always searching for a little something different to say / And the Bible from a woman who’s standing on the stage / You get told you’re fitting in, you get told you don’t belong
You drink too much in a smokey little bar downtown / Stumble home when it’s time to throw in the towel / Wake up in the morning, look out, and the sunlight hurts / Find your old guitar, write down another verse / In the land of a million songs,” Bryan reveals he didn’t actually get to finish the poignant tune the day they wrote it.

“I said, ‘Boys, whatever we’re writing we need to put it in the trash,’” Bryan recalls. “We wrote the first verse and chorus. We already had been working on the song for a couple of hours. When the kids get off the school bus, and get to the house, all my creativity is gone at that point.”

After spending the rest of the day with his family, Bryan was surprised the next morning to find that the guys finished the song without him, sending him a copy of the tune in an email.

“I’m like, ‘What are these ding dongs doing? They done went in here and finished this thing!’ And I hit it, and I just started crying in the bed,” Bryan says. “I called Jeff, and I said, ‘Guys, I really believe this is one of the best songs that I’ve ever written. I couldn’t be more proud of a song, and what you guys did with, ‘Everybody’s got a story that needs to be sold, and they pray someday they’ll hang a little gold, and ride back to their hometown with their head held high.’”

Bryan certainly has plenty of gold to hang. The Georgia native’s previous three albums were each certified multi-platinum, with several gold and platinum-selling hits as well, including his recent platinum-selling “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” chart-topping single.

Bryan will hit the road on his What Makes You Country Tour on Feb. 16 in Springfield, Mo. A list of all of Bryan’s upcoming shows is available on his website.

Download “Land of a Million Songs” on iTunes.

Photo Credit: Instagram/LukeBryan