Cody Johnson’s Acoustic Version of ‘On My Way to You’ Will Give You the Feels [WATCH]
Cody Johnson's live performance of his newest single, "On My Way to You," for Taste of Country's RISERS series takes the song's storytelling to a whole new level. Readers can press play above to watch the stripped-down performance of the love ballad, which Johnson says he was inspired to record by his wife Brandi and their two daughters.
"Before I met my wife, I was not a good kid. I'd fight you in an instant, cuss you out and ... I was pretty wild," Johnson tells ToC. "I talk about that plan that God has, and when I met her, everything changed."
"On My Way to You" is the first single that Johnson released from his major-label studio debut album, Ain't Nothin' to It, which dropped on Friday (Jan. 18). The romantic lyrics tell the story of a man who has found his purpose in the woman he loves.
"Every curve, every ditch / Every turn, every bridge / I left behind me up in smoke / Every fork in the road / It was all worth the while / When I finally saw your smile," Johnson sings in the chorus of "On My Way to You." "Every highway, every heartbreak / Every mountain, every mile ..."
Johnson said the genuine emotion and imagery of "On My Way to You" -- written by Brett James and Tony Lane -- spoke to him: "When I hear a song that, instantly, I can see the picture, I can see the truck that he's driving, I can see the color of her dress, you can almost smell that sweet perfume -- that is an authenticity that drives me to do it," the artist shares "That song matches me."
Prior to Ain't Nothin' to It, Johnson independently released six albums, having turned to country music after a career as a rodeo cowboy. The native Texan signed a partnership with Warner Music Nashville in June.
"There’s been plenty of opportunities to 'get rich, get famous' over the years with a label deal that wasn’t right, and I just didn’t really care about it," Johnson tells The Boot. "I think that mentality is what landed us a groundbreaking 50-50 partnership with one of the major labels in town. The only person that has the deal that is structured like mine is Kenny Chesney, and I think that speaks to the amount of thought and unwillingness to sacrifice what we had."
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