Brad PaisleyMichelle HansenMusic 1010-048Semester Project

BIOGRAPHY OF Brad Paisley

• Born on October 28, 1972• Given his first

guitar at the age of 8 years old• Started singing at

community gatherings and church meetings

• At age 12 he was in his first band “The C-Notes”• Began writing his own

music at age 12• Studied at West

Virginia’s West Liberty State College and Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee

• Signed to Arista recording label to become a solo artist where he released his first album in 1999 named “Who Needs Pictures”

• A week after graduating from college Brad Paisley signed on to EMI records strictly as a songwriter

• His song “Another You” was recorded by David Kersh in 1996 which came as his first success

Noteworthy Albums• In August of 2005 Paisley released his album titled

“Time Well Wasted” that barely missed the top of album charts, but hit number one on the country music charts.

• In 2007 he then released his album “5th Gear” • The album released in 2008 titled “Play” still had

a hit in the form of the bonus track on the album called “Waitin’ on a Women”

• His album in 2009 was titled “American Saturday Night”.

• He has a new album set to be released late 2013 Spring titled “Beat this Summer”

Married Life• In 2003 Paisley married the actress Kimberly Williams• They met after Paisley asked her to be in one of his

music videos• Paisley said in an interview with Red Book Magazine

“It [was] crazy! It was all a weird attempt to say ‘hi.’ I just can’t believe it worked!”

• Paisley has two sons: 4 year old Huck and 2 year old Jasper

• He also said in his interview with Red Book that “They’ve [His sons] helped me realize how much time I used to waste. They grow so quickly, and if I don’t catch every detail on video, I’ll miss my chance.”

Married Life Continued• In the same interview

with Red Book Magazine he also said he knew his wife was the right choice because “She’s so down to earth—there’s no pretentiousness. With Kim I realized that if I ever let her go, not only could I never do any better, but I would always regret it. So I had to marry her. I had no choice!”

• I saw Brad Paisley in

February of 2012 for his Virtual Reality Tour where he has worked to create an entire light show spectacle to go along with every single of his songs

• He then ran to the back of the stadium and spoke to

the audience saying he remembered being younger and not being able to afford the expensive tickets, but that he appreciated the people who stilll bought the cheaper tickets and still came and that he wanted to perform a song just for them.

History of Selected Works• My first work I selected was “This is Country

Music”• Co-written by Brad Paisley and Chris DuBois• Produced by Frank Rogers and released on

December 13, 2010• The song is about topics that are frequently used

in country music• The song has memorable lines like “You’re not

supposed to say the word ‘Cancer’ in a song- but this is country music, and we do.”

History of Selected Works• The second work I chose is “Letter to Me”• This song was written by Brad Paisley• It was released on October 22, 2007• Frank Rogers produced this song• It was number one on the Billboard Hot Country songs for 4

weeks • Paisley said that he was inspired to write this song after his

wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley was asked to write for a book called “What I know Now: Letters to My Younger Self.” He decided that the concept of him writing a letter to his younger 17-year old self would make a good country song.

• Brad Paisley ended up winning a Grammy at the 51st Grammy Awards for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for “Letter to Me.”

History of Selected Works• Lastly I chose the song “Celebrity”• Written by Brad Paisley• Released on March 24, 2003• This song showcases Paisley’s humorous side• The song is a long stream of things that celebrities

are known for doing like making a scene over a ridiculous mistake or wrecking a car on the way to rehab.

• They satirize how celebrities usually end up with community service, no matter which law they break.

Listening Guide“This is Country Music” 5min 11sec• 0:00 Introduction: • Like most popular songs, or any songs, this song begins with an Introduction played

on guitar by Brad Paisley. The first 8 seconds is a slower mix of the chords and notes that are then strung together in a more whole form as soon as the Introduction hits 11 seconds. There is a country sound to the song because of the guitar, even though it does sound like an electric guitar, and he is also using an instrument on his guitar to drag out some of his notes. The song is in major mode because it is an upbeat melody. I believe the song is also in duple meter.

• 0:22 Verse 1: • Verse 1 is the same music that is used throughout for other verses but has different

text than this beginning verse. It starts out “You’re not supposed to say the word ‘cancer’ in song.” In this verse ending words to each line like song and wrong rhyme as well as true and do also rhyme. At the end of each verse the last line is “Well this is country music, and we do.” As well as Paisley playing lead guitar there is also a violin playing in the melody that begins around 0:27.

• 1:01 Verse 2: • The tempo increases here and Paisley has a verse of his asking questions like “Do

you wanna say I’m sorry or I love you, but you don’t know how?” and “Do you wish you the nerve to tell that stupid boss of yours to shove it next time he yells at you?” There is a lead an electric guitar as well as another guitar that is playing random riffs that add to the musical appeal. The violin also reappears in between the guitars to fill the aural canvas. Again Paisley ends with “Well this is country music, and we do.”

Listening Guide continued“This is Country Music”• 1:42 Chorus: • Paisley then instructs us in the text that we should turn it on, turn it up and sing

along. He then goes to tell you what country music is: it is real and your life in a song. He then ends the chorus by saying “Yea, This is country music.” The lyrics have been drawn out at the ends of the lines and words have been given several different notes to hit to create interest. The part of this song is very upbeat. The lead guitar is playing in between Paisley’s vocals on the down beat.

• 2:07 Instrumental Interlude: • Right after the chorus ends Paisley has a guitar solo that follows along the upbeat

lines of the Chorus’s music until 2:29 when it drops down to do a slower more serious sounding tone intro into the next verse. This more serious sounding intro lasts from 2:29-2:35 and then he begins to sing once again.

• 2:35 Verse 3: • This verse is one of the more serious. There is some plucking of the guitar strings

and a few seconds where Paisley sings “Crying as she tells you that your brother” that there is nothing but the lasting reverberations of the instruments in the background before a violin chimes in on the word brother to add to the solemn yet beautiful effect as he sings “brother’s not coming home” the violin then has a moment of playing alone until 2:56 where it then the pace slowly builds as he speaks of having pride in our military and those that died defending “The old red, white, and blue” the music swells up and louder like our pride does when we here of those that die protecting our great country. This then leads back to the text “Well this is country music, and we do.”

Listening Guide continued“This Is Country Music”• 3:15 Chorus: • The chorus repeats the same as the first chorus. It is in duple meter and

you can hear the emphasis of the two beats especially well during the chorus. However then there is an add-on of two lines where he further describes that country music is the road that takes you home and it is right where you belong. Then he sings “This is country music” twice to finish off the chorus. When he begins singing the first “This is country music” the music becomes slower and more drawn out. By the time he finishes the repeat the music.

• 3:58 Fade out to 5:11 • Here the singing begins to fade out. Paisley states lines from other

popular country songs things like “God Bless the USA” while interchanging with the lyrics “This is country music,” “Stand By Your Man,” “I Walk The Line,” etc. until he sings “Country Boy Can Survive” which the word survive climbs the note scale higher and higher as the music is loud and strong with the electric guitar. And it leads up to a crescendo before the music slowly dies out and he lets the guitar finish echoing before silence.

Listening Guide“Letter to Me” 4min 40sec• 0:00 Introduction: • The song begins with a steady paced guitar and drum. A second guitar then

comes in and plays higher pitched notes. The song is in major mode because it sounds happy, bright, and hopeful. The emphasis is on the downbeat and because of the drums you can tell it is in duple meter.

• 0:18 Verse 1: • The singing starts of accompanied by two guitars. He begins by explaining if

he could write a letter to his seventeen year old self he would start by telling himself something only he would know to prove it was him. At 0:44 he begins to tell him he knows how hard it was to break up with his girlfriend and a violin comes in to play on the ending of the sentence. The percussion is keeping the beat every 4th beat now quieter in the background. When Paisley sings the last phrase of verse one which is: “Pain like that is fast and it’s rare” he crescendos on the world real into the chorus. In verse one he rhymes fair and rare and he has a close rhyme of tough and months.

• 1:06 Chorus: • The chorus starts out still on a crescendo from verse one with his singing “And

Oh,” then he goes to say “you got so much going for you going right But I know at 17 it's hard to see past Friday night” then the chorus is different here from the others where it says “She wasn't right for you/ And still you feel like there's a knife/sticking out of your back/ And you're wondering if you'll survive/ You'll make it through this and you'll see,” then he returns to the same part of the chorus which says “You're still around to write this letter to me” There is what sounds like slide guitar in this part as well as the drum doing a simple two count beat in the background. There is also a violin that plays when Paisley is pausing between sentences. He rhymes the words “right” and “night” and then “see” and “me”.

Listening Guide continued“Letter to Me”• 1:46 Verse 2

• This verse has the same music as the first verse which is common in popular songs but the text is different. In this verse he is giving him advice, like always stop at stop signs don’t just tap your breaks. There’s a guitar playing a scale up and down at the beginning of his singing. The music is a lot simpler in the verses than chorus and it is a lot easier to hear the drum in the back playing the simple every two beats. Again at the end of the verse on the last word Shine he crescendos in to the chorus. He almost rhymes the words “shine” and “time” then “full” and “cool” and “fight” and “right”.

• 2:35 Chorus 2: • This chorus also begins in a crescendo with “And, oh” to repeat what was said in

the first chorus until it changes the middle four lines to “Tonight's the bonfire rally/ but you're staying home instead because if you fail Algebra/ Mom and dad will kill you dead /Trust me you'll squeak by and get a C” and then he ends again with the reassurance that “you’re still around to write this letter to me.” The music is the same as the first chorus. There is a lot more going on with the instruments then in the verses here which I believe emphasizes the choruses. There is the same guitar, slide guitar, and drum in the background. The violin plays just at the ending of the chorus.

• 3:09 Bridge: • This bridge is where a little variety comes in to play. This bridge starts of strong

with a lot of tension as he tries he explain that he has so much up ahead. The guitars are loud and are almost fighting with each other until the music slows back down at 3:37 where he sings “I guess I’ll see you in the mirror when you’re a grown man” then he sings “P.s. go hug Aunt Rita, every chance you can.” Where Paisley crescendos at the word “can” and the guitar is being plucked instead of strummed a very soft melody.

Listening Guide continued“Letter to Me”• 3:47 Chorus 3: • This chorus is slightly different to bring resolution to everything at first

there is hardly anything but some quiet guitar strings being plucked and the steady drum but then at 3:57 the drums finally get their chance and they explode with a more complex beat that leads up to the different part of the chorus which this time says “I wish you’d study Spanish/ I wish you’d take a typing class/ I wish you wouldn’t worry let it be” then it does not end with the same sentence, it instead ends with “I'd say have a little faith and you'll see” transitions into a chorus add on.

• 4:18-4:40 Chorus Add-on: • The chorus add-on goes back to the simple hardly any guitar being

plucked and a solid drum beat every two counts in the back ground. This add on is only two lines where he sings “If I could write a letter to me/To me” Then slide guitar is utilized again and he drags the words “To me” out for a few more counts until the song is completely resolved with one beautiful chord that is strummed.

Listening Guide“Celebrity” 3min 43sec• 0:00 Introduction: • In the intro you can hear the crowd cheering as well as a guitar playing

some chords in the major mode. The song sounds very upbeat. There is a drum that has a lot bigger of a role in this song and you can tell it is going to be a song where you want to get up and move or clap along to the beat.

• 0:15 Verse 1: • Already we can tell this song is going to have comedy to it because his

opening statement is “Someday I’m going to be famous. Do I have talent? Well.. No. These days you don’t really need it, thanks to reality shows.” In this verse there is a bass guitar and drums playing behind the singing. There is a slide guitar between the things he’s listing off that he can’t wait to do such as date a super model or sue his dad. Then a normal electric guitar comes in when he smugly says he can’t wait to wreck his Ferrari on the way to rehab. The guitar then picks up lead to push in to the chorus.

• 0:45 Chorus: • In the chorus there is the same beat from the drums, as well as a bass

guitar being played alongside the guitar. The guitar does a scale from starting at the top and creeping downwards as he says the ending of each line. He rhymes the words “celebrity” with “reality” then “fool” and “cool” then “fit” and “it” then lastly “insane” with “fame”. The violin also gets added in the chorus. The song is still in major mode.

Listening Guide continued“Celebrity”• 1:26 Verse 2: • Verse 2 is very similar in structure to verse 1. However there

is a guitar that is more prominent at the beginning of verse 2 than in verse 1. The text however is different, a list of more things he cannot wait for when he becomes a celebrity like being able to break any law and only get community service. The end of verse two crescendos as it leads back in to the chorus.

• 1:55 Chorus: • The chorus is identical to the first chorus until it reaches line

5. Line 5-11 are different text but generally have the same feel as the first chorus. He is still using the drums, bass guitar, guitar, and violin in this chorus. The chorus ends with a solo for the guitar and then it goes into a bridge.

Listening Guide continued“Celebrity”• Bridge: • The bridge is to add variety. After an instrumental solo he signs in a

pretty steady pitch that does not waver much higher or lower. On the ending sentence which is “Hey, Hey Hollywood, here we come!” Paisley crescendos on the word come and the pitch goes up the scale. The guitar is the main instrument here and after he finishes singing the bridge he takes off on another guitar riff until the chorus begins again.

• 2:59-3:43 Chorus: • This chorus is the ending to the song and he uses it to place emphasis.

In the first sentence he drags out the words especially placing dramatic emphasis on “Adios Reality” making it a perfect moment for everyone in the audience at the concert to sing along loudly with him. Around 3:17 he begins to repeat things like “yea, a celebrity” which are small add-ons to the chorus to fade the song out to its resolution and close. The ending is all guitar and drums which ends on a final guitar chord and the final hit of the cymbals. Then the song ends when the guitar reverberations and the cymbals fall silent.

Picture Credits:• www.people.com• www.cmt.com• www.tower.com• www.social.popsugar.com• Michelle Hansen, photos taken at 2012 concert

Sources for Biography, History of Selected Works, and Listening Guide

• http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Brad-Paisley-Biography/9A0AAF9AE3865441482569460006A149

• http://www.redbookmag.com/fun-contests/celebrity/brad-paisley-interview

• http://www.biography.com/people/brad-paisley-193215

• http://bradpaisley.com/ • http://www.lyricsreg.com/lyrics/brad+paisley/

This+Is+Country+Music/ • Rhapsody Player was used for listening to my

selected pieces to create the listening guide.