Gerard O'Riley

This is about a man who doesn't necessarily fancy himself as a religious person, but when his wife leaves him, he doesn't know what else to do so he goes into a church and prays for her return. The picture I was trying to get across here was a man kneeling in front of lit candles at the altar and begging God to help him. It reminds me of something Johnny Paycheck might have done. I've written hundreds of songs, but I think verse 2 of this one might be among the best I've written. It's also meant to be really sang; it's not a soft, melodic-toned song at all.

Whatever sort of entity out there that visits me with songwriting inspiration lives in the 1960s, I'm sure of it. This song is about as classic country Americana as you're going to get. Though it's in no way derivative, in my opinion. I think it's a very unique and original take on a topic that's been written about plenty of times.

As a southern man, a lot of what I looked up to in life growing up were cowboys. I always have possessed sort of a cowboy-like persona about my life, and particularly in my writing. This song is about all those different sorts of men a woman could love, but loving a cowboy is the best choice she's going to make.

This is more of an inspirational song, a message to people that we all have things in our past that we undoubtedly regret, but we are capable of change. So let's stop focusing on who we used to be, and focus more on the who we are today.

My mental state has caused a lot of harm; to me, to others, and to God.