Anything Like Me

Album: American Saturday Night (2009)
Charted: 48
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Songfacts®:

  • Paisley told Billboard magazine that whilst 5th Gear "was looking back to high school, on this album I look back to who I became from a little boy on." He added that you'll see it in this song, "which is about my son Huck and also this newest one [son Jasper Warren, born April 17, 2009]. It has a lot of funny lines in it: 'I can see him right now, knees all skinned up with a magnifying glass trying to melt a Tonka truck.'"
  • Paisley told The Boot that in this song he both worries and hopes that his oldest son Huck will grow up like he did. "When you go and hear those words and think about, 'probably climb a tree too tall, ride his bike too fast,' it's things that we did," he said. " I mean, 'end up every summer wearing something in a cast, probably throw a ball and break some glass,' who hasn't done that?" the singer continued. "And all those things are just things that I did and my co-writers did. And it's pretty true to life, you know, in terms of both ... all those things that I'm talking about that he does like 'probably stay out too late, drive his car too fast,' I kind of hope he does. Same with the 'throw a ball,' and you know, all of these are things that I'm equal parts a little bit scared of and hopeful that he actually also does them."
  • Chris DuBois recalled to The Boot the day back in 2007 he and Dave Turnbull got together with Brad Paisley to write a song about raising a son. "Dave and I both have sons, so we had an idea for a song that talks about the process of having sons. We dug into it and wrote a little bit, and I just felt like it was something that Brad would love. So I called him up and said, 'Hey, we've got this thing started.'

    Brad had just had a son, too, and Dave and I both felt he could be able to relate to it. It just felt like something that would really work for him. I told him about what we had, and he loved it. He was out on the road playing though, so it took a while for us all to get together.

    Me and Dave didn't have much going in... We had a first verse that we ended up rewriting, and we had some thoughts on a chorus. So the three of us sat there and began talking about all the trials and tribulations of being a father. Then it really started to flow magically - talking about the excitement you have from the moment you find out you're having a boy and reflecting back on all the trouble you caused as a kid. Just thinking about how tough it could possibly be if your son turns out like you.

    There was some stuff that we did [as boys] - each one of us individually - that was probably too bad to put in a song though! [laughs] 'You can't put that in there - that's too much!' Even though it was true! But it was a lot of fun and I think it resonates with a lot of people. Since then, I've actually had another little boy - and I had twin boys last December. So, yeah, we're in for it, for sure!"

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