Eric Church Chooses “Some Of It” As Next Single
Eric Church has chosen what will be the second single from his recent album Desperate Man, and it will be the classic rock vibe and fatherly wisdom of “Some Of It.” Impacting radio on January 14th, it is the followup to the debut single from the record, “Desperate Man,” co-written by Ray Wylie Hubbard. The title track reached a peak of #13 on country radio last week before EMI Nashville pulled their support to make way for the new single. “Desperate Man” also reached #8 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
“Some Of It” was written by Eric Church with common collaborator Jeff Hyde, along with Clint Daniels and Bobby Pinson. The song explores how you gain wisdom and knowledge as you go through life, some through experience, some from what you read or learn, some that you pick up and cherish for life, and some that you leave by the wayside from better ideas. Like a lot of the tracks from Desperate Man, it is a decidedly more organic track compared to most of the country radio fare of today. It’s rootsy, even if it’s not entirely country.
“Some Of It” will impact radio at the same time as Ashley McBryde’s new single, “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” McBryde owes a big debt of gratitude to Eric Church for helping to jump start her mainstream career. The two share producers in Jay Joyce, as well as record labels. Eric Church’s Desperate Man debuted at #1 in country when it was released on October 5th, and has sold just over 150,000 copies.
thebugman10
December 20, 2018 @ 9:19 am
Doesn’t surprise me about Desperate Man. It is one of, if not the, weakest track on the album.
Trigger
December 20, 2018 @ 10:33 am
“Desperate Man” did fine as a radio single. It actually performed better than “Mr. Misunderstood,” which was the lead single from Church’s last album. Eric Church is not a radio artist. He’s an arena artist that gets decent support from radio.
ScottG
December 20, 2018 @ 12:05 pm
You often have a way of putting things in a helpful perspective, Trigger. Just an observation.
thebugman10
December 21, 2018 @ 8:31 am
Yeah that makes sense.
Wonkabar23
December 20, 2018 @ 9:30 am
Some of it is my favorite song on the record. Glad to hear it going to radio.
albert
December 20, 2018 @ 9:30 am
” Some Of It ” is a forgettable title with no mystery about it …it doesn’t tap into our sense of curiosity the way a classic like ” Friends In Low Places ” does. It doesn’t resonate whatsoever .
Dynamically the track just lays there… …it never gets off the ground and , as with so much radio fare , searches desperately for a melody .
Saying that , if a listener is prepared to do some deciphering , rewinding , paying close attention to the lyrics ( rendered almost inaudible in places by Church’s mumbling delivery ) its a clever approach to a theme t…..he likes of which is sorely needed and sadly missing outside of releases from Miranda and very few others . A lyric with more than a semblance of substance……..a Christmas miracle and a hallmark of Bobby Pinson’s songwriting ( ”Ask Me How I Know”)
To my ear this is ultimately an album cut that comes with high hopes due to the aforementioned ……but I’d take it over ” Desperate Man’s ” lack of originality and sloppy Dave Cobb-ish production .
ScottG
December 20, 2018 @ 12:21 pm
One persons sloppy is another persons natural, organic, and human 🙂
Anyway, I agree that there isn’t much resonance here. But my main critique would be that this song, though decent but not amazingly written, would be way better off with a much more relaxed feel. It is way too busy. The beat, and the acoustic guitar are distracting and seem in opposition to the vocal – not complimentary at all. Agree with the idea that someone else said ithat the production feels rushed and put though an assembly inline and completely agree with what you said below about needing some steel! It’s almost begging for it!
Patrick
December 20, 2018 @ 9:41 am
Not a bad song, but not great. Probably a 6/10 rating. Hopefully Monsters and Hippie Radio make it as singles.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
December 20, 2018 @ 9:45 am
songs like this is why I try so hard to be an Eric Church apologist.
I think he’s had some duds, but he’s always come around and always offered up some good real-world thoughts and wisdom in his own humble “I’ve lived it” way.
This is probably the best radio single from anybody I’ve heard in a long time.
Sure, it doesn’t “teach” anything or grip you with chills but its a good fatherly song that tells you how it is and does it sympathetically.
good to see that the Eric Church that gave us “these boots” is still around.
He’s easily one of my favorite modern Country singers in the sense that his voice is unmistakeable, and he doesn’t ever try to sing stuff he shouldn’t, he knows what he does and he sticks to it and he’s easily one of the most aware people on mainstream radio, and he lets his music speak for itself and works hard for his fanbase and acts like he cares about his fans and isn’t just some cozy suburban white guy living in a Luke Bryan-esque white suburban fairytale.
I think this song deserves to be a contender for the next awards cycle
albert
December 20, 2018 @ 9:46 am
Just one other comment on the production . For me this is just the latest example of Nashville’s lazy , quick , unoriginal approach to recording music tracks . It sounds like a writer’s ” make the point and make it cheaply” song demo ….very little creative thought has gone into making the track itself the least bit interesting musically .Why ? Does the assembly line have to move so quickly that there’s no time allotted to originality …even if ‘original’ means drawing from the traditional in terms of full-sounding , polished and dynamically effective songs ? It doesn’t take a lot to incorporate some kind colour to support a lyric and help engage a listener . This song was ripe for the emotional spark of a steel guitar …..
Lisa
December 20, 2018 @ 3:55 pm
This song was cut and added at the last minute after the album was done. That might be why. I think it has a good message though and is much better than 99% of what’s played on the radio.
albert
December 20, 2018 @ 4:49 pm
well…..that’s my point Lisa ….its just rushed down the pipe ….no respect shown to the lyric in terms of a sympathetic vibe or the right instrumentation . no excuse IMO …..
its not like they couldn’t find the facilities or the skills in that town….
Lisa
December 20, 2018 @ 5:40 pm
I hear what you’re saying. Why not put more effort in to put out a better product? I still think it’s better than most.
Brett
December 20, 2018 @ 9:51 am
Im fine with the choice, good song. Would have preferred Solid or Jukebox and a Bar. Love the messages of both. Hippie Radio is good but maybe relies a little heavy on nostalgia. Love the album though. Would rather have classic rock vibes over hip hop or pop anyday of the week.
Robert
December 20, 2018 @ 10:13 am
To me, Church’s voice always sounds best against this more mellow, rock sound. It also seems to me like something that will fit well enough for play on the radio, while still quality enough to appeal to the readers of sites like this. And yeah, it’s not 100% pure country music, but it’s still a really solid song, and I definitely won’t be complaining if I hear it on the local country station.
Bill Weiler
December 20, 2018 @ 10:14 am
I thought ok, I’ll try. Took about 10 seconds to realize I will remember nothing about the song. Disposable Zippity-Doo-Da.
Stringbuzz
December 20, 2018 @ 10:36 am
Saw Ashley McBryde last week. She was awesome. She really reminds me a lot of Eric Church in a way..
Tom
December 20, 2018 @ 10:41 am
I stopped listening as soon as he stopped singing before he completely got a word out, which was at the end of about the second line. It’s sort of a trademark with him, I guess, because he’s done it over and over again over the years. If he’s not confident enough in the quality of the lyrics to finish singing them, I figure they’re probably not good enough for me to listen to.
Cameron
December 20, 2018 @ 11:17 am
“If he’s not confident enough in the quality of the lyrics to finish singing them, I figure they’re probably not good enough for me to listen to.”
LOLOLOLOLOL…..Eric Church May not be your favorite but and that’s fine but he’s definitely confident. Reading shit like this is why I love this site.
Tom
December 23, 2018 @ 8:24 pm
Then why can’t he spit the words out? Dead serious, there’s absolutely nothing positive about this stupid habit of his. If he’s good with what he’s singing, why can’t he listen to the playback and realize that he needs to do it again?
albert
December 20, 2018 @ 3:03 pm
exactly ….as I said above …I like the guy’s writing …I like that he’s not Trashville….but his delivery is always lacking , IMO. this song is the perfect illustration of my point .
Phil
December 20, 2018 @ 10:56 am
I love Church, and this song. It’s a great album; no tracks I dislike – but production wise, there’s about 4-5 songs on there that just seem unfinished. Almost too stripped down in a sense. Nonetheless it’s still a great album.
Steven Gimmy
December 20, 2018 @ 11:19 am
Do I hear a “snap track”?..
Trigger
December 20, 2018 @ 11:28 am
There’s no snap track here.
Hey Arnold
December 20, 2018 @ 8:06 pm
“Snap Crackle Pop, it’s Country!! ” – quote from Music Row, labels, & Scott Borchetta
OlaR
December 20, 2018 @ 11:20 am
Well…four songwriters. A not-so-country song. A not-so-country production. But it’s Eric Church. His not-so-country songs are better than all the other not-so-country songs because…
…because…
…wait…
…i’ll find a reason…
…
…nope…next one.
Blackh4t
December 20, 2018 @ 6:22 pm
Because only 4 songwriters. Because its not Dave lets-phone-it-in Cobb. Because talented musicians. Because genuine respect for musical heritage.
Eric can be a dbag, but he can make good music.
A
December 20, 2018 @ 11:43 am
Egh, this guy still does nothing for me.
HunterMC6
December 20, 2018 @ 12:00 pm
Not a bad song on first listen. I haven’t put the album for a single spin yet though so I wonder how this fits within the album.
I would rather listen to him perform this song than what ever it was I heard form him during his live show 2 summers ago. He needs to push the metal guitarist trying to blow the Marshall AMP’s into the background and bring Joanna Cotten up front way more.
Derek Sullivan
December 20, 2018 @ 1:08 pm
It did seem like Hippie Radio was going to be the next single. Eric Church made an acoustic video for it and the song seems like a good fit for radio. I kind of wonder if Church’s team did a little surveying of radio and the title and use of rock/folk songs in the lyrics. turned off some stations.
I’m a big fan of Eric’s and it seems like Desperate Man has been dead for a few weeks now. I expected Eric to release a new single weeks ago. I wonder if at the last minute they changed their mind, pivoted and decided to release Some of It instead.
I like the song and I feel any song with a strong sing-a-long chorus will do well on radio.
DJ
December 20, 2018 @ 2:21 pm
I went to see Roger Creager last night for my birthday present at Main Street Crossing in Tomball Tx- no comparison. Creager is leaps and bounds better and the guy that opened for him – don’t recollect his name since I didn’t hear it, he’s a local guy was better than this.
albert
December 20, 2018 @ 3:12 pm
how is it that , say , 7 out of ten comments on a song ( its lyric , its sound and/or arrangement and production ) by folks on this site are mostly always on the money and pretty-much common-sense observations ….and yet these simple observations completely get past music row . how does nashsville NOT hear the obvious time after time ? if I didn’t hear so many people here bringing up similar observations I’d just say ” OK ….its just me …what the hell do I know ” . But its NOT just me . there’s some good ears here , I think , and some smart viewpoints about songs and their productions.
Blackh4t
December 20, 2018 @ 6:30 pm
One of my favourite sayings is: every problem has a solution that is simple, easy……and wrong.
You think the commenters are right, I probably agree, BUT do we ever prove what we say.
I mean, would it be a better album if it went back and got a bit more overproduced?
Occasionally we get to say ‘I told you so’ but its rare, and often we have to get annoyed that consumers keep supporting what we say is ‘wrong’
Not dissing your comment, but like Trig with his female equality, the quality/success problem is also lots more complex than it looks
Fuzzy TwoShirts
December 21, 2018 @ 12:35 pm
Well the way I see it, Albert, is that it is obvious.
So obvious, in fact, that I think everyone involved KNOWS.
The bean-counting ass-kissers know what they’re doing to Country Music.
They either don’t care, or they’re enthusiastic about it.
We need to stop pretending that people are forgetting what Country Music sounds like and own up to the fact that people are actively trying to change it, and we need to fight back, cuss some folks out, and withhold every dollar we can from every label we can until we tear their steeples down.
Thomas
December 20, 2018 @ 3:37 pm
I thinks this is going to be a pretty big hit for him. It won’t surprise me at all if it ends up at #1 and gets a song and/or single of the year nomination at the CMAs next year.
Corncaster
December 20, 2018 @ 6:55 pm
Ok, but too listy for me
Michael Darnall
December 20, 2018 @ 7:28 pm
I think all his songs are bad ass he is bout as good as they come and he just gets betterevert album
Brian
December 20, 2018 @ 8:53 pm
I really like this song, it was one that I thought from the beginning made sense for radio. It is a very simple and honest message and a lot of times that is exactly what I want from a song. I also think “Hippie Radio” has a very friendly radio vibe to it, but this song in my opinion is a little more folksy and country leaning, which is why I would have chose it. I would love to hear “Monsters” on radio, but I would be surprised if they send it for a single.
Bob Ruane
December 20, 2018 @ 9:27 pm
When I first heard this, I thought it was called “Summer.” The tune does have a late-spring sound and reminds me of something Americana artist Lori McKenna (who had written Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind”) would write. I predict it will be on the country chart until May or June.
Chris
December 20, 2018 @ 9:30 pm
I can’t get begind the sound. Its so artificial and poorly produced. Maybe the lyrics have more depth than whats out there now, but it sounds like every other song out there right now. There is nothing here that sounds even remotely “country”
Cameron
December 21, 2018 @ 8:52 am
“There is nothing here that sounds even remotely “country””
I keep seeing people make comments like this. If you polled 100 random radio listeners and asked them what genre of music this song belongs to 100 of them would answer country.
Benny Lee
December 23, 2018 @ 8:45 am
If radio listeners think it’s country, there’s a good chance it’s not.
JB-Chicago
December 20, 2018 @ 11:00 pm
Jinks > Church
Marky Mark
December 22, 2018 @ 5:10 pm
Led Zeppelin > Beatles. … and both are great. I can do this all day. Unless there is room in country music for only one artist, then what is your point?
Benny Lee
December 23, 2018 @ 8:46 am
Steak > chicken
Marky mark
December 26, 2018 @ 10:00 pm
Sushi > Pizza, but only just a little? Will this madness never cease.
Btw, I think this is a great album by church and this song is a great song. Everyone on this site bitches about the overproduction by music row, then when a guy like Church strips it back, they bitch about that too. Frankly, I love the direction of the last two albums. Song oriented, no reliance on tricks or gimmicks to make it work, just well written tunes. He earned my money on these last two albums and I say keep it up. Maybe not the album of the year, but damn fine work.
Bobsled
December 22, 2018 @ 8:42 am
What a bunch of clowns.
I’d like to nominate Albert to post some of his Tony Rice level stuff, since he’s apparently an accoustic master.