What I See

Album: Lessons Learned (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Lanco drummer Tripp Howell takes the lead vocals on this song about a trip to a hometown. The singer's return to his roots brings back memories of significant touchstones; those same places hold little meaning to outsiders.
  • Tripp Howell penned the song with his bandmates Brandon Lancaster and Chandler Baldwin, along with Jeremy Spillman (Eric Church's "Hell on the Heart"). The songwriters came up with the idea after the band's tour bus picked them up in a small parking lot with just a rundown bar and restaurant. Lancaster explained they started thinking about how though the location seemed insignificant to them, it could be a landmark to someone else. "This could be the place where someone spent all their Friday nights or had their first fender-bender in high school," he said.

    The four started talking about their upbringings, and realized everybody has those meaningful places in their hometowns; maybe a football field or even an exit sign. "Though insignificant to most, they are part of our stories," Lancaster said. "So this song shines a light on the idea that 'there's more than meets the eye.'"
  • The song starts with an exit sign.

    What you see is an exit sign
    I see a road that goes back in time


    Reflecting on the lyric, Brandon Lancaster told The Boot: "When you think about that, thousands of cars drive past my exit every day, and it doesn't mean anything to them. For me, that exit, you get off that road, that's my whole life. That's all my memories, that's who made me who I am."
  • Another autobiographical Lancaster lyric finds the singer recalling a car accident off Almaville Road

    What you see is a real sharp curve
    I see a real hard lesson learned
    I walked away from that without the scratches
    Lord knows I deserved


    Lancaster is probably referring to the infamous sharp curve on Almaville Road near Drew Street in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

Taylor Dayne

Taylor DayneSongwriter Interviews

Taylor talks about "The Machine" - the hits, the videos and Clive Davis.