15 Years Of Traveller – English Lyrics

• By: Chris Stapleton

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the raw emotion and authentic storytelling of American country music through Chris Stapleton's 'Traveller.' This album offers a masterclass in songwriting, with lyrics that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. For language learners, the clear and soulful vocals provide an excellent opportunity to engage with the nuances of American English pronunciation and storytelling, all set to a timeless blend of country, blues, and rock.

[English]

ONE

TWO

THREE...

♪ ♪

I PLAY MUSIC USUALLY BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I

GET UP IN THE MORNING AND THINK ABOUT.

I WAKE UP WITH MUSIC IN MY HEAD,

AND I GO TO BED WITH MUSIC IN MY HEAD AT NIGHT.

AND IF I SEE SOMETHING WITH STRINGS ON IT

I GOTTA PICK IT UP

AND IF IT'S ANY GOOD IMMA PLAY IT FOR ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES

UNLESS SOMEONE TELLS ME TO STOP.

AND IF NOBODY ELSE IS AROUND

IM JUST GOING TO PLAY IT UNTIL I CAN'T FEEL MY FINGERS ANYMORE.

THATS WHY I PLAY MUSIC.

BECAUSE ITS BASICALLY LIKE BREATHING TO ME.

IF I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF IT

ITS LIKE NOT GETTING ENOUGH AIR.

♪ THAT SOMEBODY NEEDS ME TO PLAY ♪

YOU KNOW THE TWENTY-THREE YEAR OLD ME,

IM THIRTY- SEVEN NOW, IS ON THIS RECORD.

♪SOMETIMES I'M STONED ♪

THE TWENTY-EIGHT YEAR OLD ME

IS SOMEWHERE ON THIS RECORD.

THE THIRTY YEAR OLD ME IS SOMEWHERE ON THIS RECORD.

AND THE THIRTY- SEVEN YEAR OLD ME

WITH TWO KIDS AND A WIFE IS ON THIS RECORD.

AND THERES BRAIN CELLS

THAT HAVE LONG BEEN DEAD ON THIS RECORD.

THERES ME TRYING TO WRITE A SONG LIKE...

I LOVE THAT SONG I WANNA WRITE A SONG LIKE THAT.

THERES THAT GUY ON THIS RECORD.

THERES A GUY WHO WROTE THREE SONGS A DAY ON THIS RECORD,

FOR FOUR YEARS STRAIGHT AND DIDN'T STOP.

AND THERES A GUY WHO...WHO

YOU KNOW, RAN AROUND THE COUNTRY PLAYING BLUEGRASS

BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE THE RIGHT THING TO DO AT THE TIME.

THERES A GUY WHO WENT AND PLAYED ROCK AND ROLL IN CLUBS

AND MADE A ROCK AND ROLL RECORD JUST CAUSE HE WANTED TO,

AND HE LOVED THE GUYS IN THE BAND,

AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF DRIVING AROUND IN HIS OWN TRUCK

WITH A TRUCK FULL OF GEAR, GOING TO PLAY FOR SIX PEOPLE.

THAT GUYS ON THIS RECORD.

♪ AND I'M SOMETIMES A WINNER ♪

TO GET ALL THOSE PEOPLE ON THIS RECORD...

ITS A LITTLE OVERWHELMING.

CAN'T TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUAL SONGS ON THIS RECORD

NOT WITHOUT DRAWING LINES BETWEEN ALL OF THEM.

EVERYTHING THAT I'VE DONE, KINDA LEADS UP TO THIS

OR, ALL THOSE THINGS BELONG, IN THIS RECORD.

EVERYTHING I'VE EVER DONE.

THE FACT THAT IT EXISTS FOR ME, ITS UM...

FEELS LIKE ACCOMPLISHMENT ENOUGH FOR ME.

LIKE NO AWARDS, OR NO. IM NOT GOING TO SAY I DON'T...

EVERYBODY WANTS TO WIN AN AWARD OR SOME KIND

OR SOMETHING. BUT, ITS NOT REALLY ABOUT THAT FOR ME.

I DON'T REALLY MAKE MUSIC FOR THAT.

I LIKE TO MAKE MUSIC, BECAUSE I LOVE TO MAKE MUSIC.

AND ALL OF THESE SONGS ARE...THAT.

AND I READ THE TITLES ON THE RECORD,

AND THEY ARE WRITTEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

AND THERE ARE SONGS THAT I REMEMBER WRITING WITH PEOPLE

WHEN I BARELY KNEW THEM,BUT NOW I'VE KNOW THEM FOR TEN YEARS.

TO RECORD THEM, AND THE INFANCY OF FRIENDSHIPS WITH PEOPLE

ARE, NOW THAT ARE OLD FRIENDS, OR PEOPLE

THAT HAS BEEN IN MY WEDDING OR SOMETHING ITS,

ITS VERY COOL TO ME.

THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD TIMES ON THERE. THERE'S A LOT OF,

HARD TIMES ON HERE. THERE'S A LOT OF, UM,

ME MAKING MYSELF UNCOMFORTABLE ON HERE.

AND THEN FIGHTING THROUGH IT AND GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF IT.

THEY ARE NOT INDIVIDUAL SONGS TO ME.

THEY ARE ALL ONE PIECE OF SOMETHING.

AND THAT PIECE OF SOMETHING IS, HOPEFULLY, THE BEST

OF WHAT I HAD TO OFFER.

MUSICALLY AS A PLAYER, AS A SINGER, AND UM, AS A WRITER

INDIVIDUALLY THEY, THEY YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE GOING

TO HAVE WAY MORE PERSONAL STORIES

AND SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE OF THE STORY

OF HOW I CAME ABOUT.

BUT AS A WHOLE, I THINK THEY REPRESENT THE BEST

OF WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

AND NOT TO SAY THAT I'LL EVER GET BETTER OR

EVER GET WORSE OR, EVER DO ANYTHING AGAIN.

BUT ITS UH, VERY OVERWHELMING TO HOLD FIFTEEN YEARS

OF EFFORT, IN YOUR HAND WHEN YOU GET IT IN A PACKAGE

AND YOU GET...

ITS FIFTEEN YEARS OF EFFORT

AND THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH.

♪ ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation verb - to operate a musical instrument
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - vocal or instrumental sounds organized in time
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck
feel /fiːl/ A2	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
strings /strɪŋz/ A2	noun - thin flexible lines made of twisted fibers
good /ɡʊd/ A2	adjective - of high quality; desirable
time /taɪm/ A2	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence
record /rɪˈkɔːrd/ B1	noun - a physical or digital document of sound verb - to store sound or video
years /jɪərz/ B1	noun - a unit of time equal to 365 or 366 days
write /raɪt/ B1	verb - to mark letters or symbols on a surface
friends /frendz/ B1	noun - people whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
effort /ˈefərt/ B2	noun - a vigorous or determined attempt
overwhelming /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋ/ B2	adjective - very great in amount
individual /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəl/ B2	adjective - existing as a separate entity
capable /ˈkeɪpəbl/ B2	adjective - having the ability, fitness or quality necessary to do or achieve a specified thing
represent /ˌreprɪˈzent/ B2	verb - to serve as a sign or symbol of
accomplishment /əˈkɒmplɪʃmənt/ C1	noun - the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted

Key Grammar Structures

• I play music usually because it's the first thing that I get up in the morning and think about.

  ➔ Simple present tense + relative clause (that‑clause)

  ➔ The verb **"play"** is in the simple present to describe a habit. The phrase **"that I get up in the morning and think about"** is a relative clause introduced by "that".

• If I see something with strings on it I gotta pick it up and if it's any good imma play it for about thirty minutes unless someone tells me to stop.

  ➔ First conditional (if + present simple, future result) + colloquial contractions (gotta, imma) + unless‑clause

  ➔ The structure **"If I see…"** uses the first conditional to talk about a possible future action. **"gotta"** = "have to" and **"imma"** = "I am going to" are informal contractions. The clause **"unless someone tells me to stop"** introduces an exception.

• And if nobody else is around I'm just going to play it until I can't feel my fingers anymore.

  ➔ Future intention with "going to" + negative contraction "can't" + until‑clause

  ➔ The phrase **"I'm just going to play"** uses "going to" to express a planned future action. **"can't"** is the contracted form of "cannot". The **"until"** clause shows the duration of the action.

• That's why I play music. Because it's basically like breathing to me.

  ➔ "That's why" for cause‑effect + comparative "like"

  ➔ The expression **"That's why"** introduces a reason for the previous statement. The phrase **"like breathing"** uses the comparative "like" to draw a similarity.

• If I don't have enough of it it's like not getting enough air.

  ➔ First conditional + comparative "like"

  ➔ The clause **"If I don't have enough of it"** follows the first conditional pattern (if + present simple). The result clause uses **"it's like"** to make a comparison.

• Sometimes I'm stoned.

  ➔ Stative passive (be + past participle) used as a description

  ➔ The verb **"am"** + past participle **"stoned"** forms a stative passive, indicating a condition rather than an action.

• There’s a guy who wrote three songs a day on this record, for four years straight and didn't stop.

  ➔ Relative clause with "who" + simple past tense

  ➔ The clause **"who wrote three songs a day"** is a relative clause introduced by **"who"**, describing "a guy". The verb **"wrote"** is in the simple past to talk about a completed habit.

• There’s a guy who went and played rock and roll in clubs and made a rock and roll record just cause he wanted to, and he loved the guys in the band, and loved every minute of driving around in his own truck with a truck full of gear, going to play for six people.

  ➔ Series of past simple actions + "just because" clause + gerund phrase ("going to play")

  ➔ The sentence strings together several **past simple** verbs ("went", "played", "made", "loved"). The phrase **"just cause he wanted to"** is an informal version of "just because" introducing a reason. The ending **"going to play"** is a gerund phrase indicating purpose.

• And I'm sometimes a winner to get all those people on this record...

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose ("to get") after a noun phrase

  ➔ The phrase **"to get all those people on this record"** uses the infinitive **"to get"** to express the purpose of being "a winner".

• Can't talk about individual songs on this record not without drawing lines between all of them.

  ➔ Negative modal contraction "Can't" + idiomatic structure "not without" + gerund phrase

  ➔ The contraction **"Can't"** means "cannot". The idiom **"not without"** means that something cannot be done without a certain condition—in this case, without **"drawing lines"** (gerund).