Illinois

Album: Illinois (2015)
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Songfacts®:

  • The title track of Brett Eldredge's second album pays tribute to his home state. "It's a part of who I am and always will be a major part of who I am, from the people that I grew up with there to the family values I learned there, the hard work I learned from that state," the singer told USA Today. "It shapes where this album goes and shows a lot of who I am, deep-rooted in family but also always looking for love and believing in love, fighting through the heartbreak and recognizing the heartbreak."
  • The song was written with Tom Douglas following a day driving around Elderidge's hometown of Paris, Illinois. "He's such a poet that his wheels were turning the whole time, as we were going fishing on the banks of the same ponds and lakes I grew up fishing, walking around the town square, waving and saying hello to the same people I was saying hello to when I was a kid," Eldredge recalled. "He got to meet my family. I have a picture of him standing in front of the corn stalks, as they're way above his head. He was so fascinated by this little town in the middle of nowhere."
  • Songwriter Brad Crisler also helped complete the song, which Eldredge says fans can identify with, wherever they're from. "It's about more than just being from Illinois; you can be from Texas, Utah, Tennessee," he explained. "Wherever you come from, it's always in your heart, and that's what I wanted to capture with this song."

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