Dying Man

Album: One Thing At A Time (2023)
Charted: 43
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Songfacts®:

  • Much of One Thing At A Time finds Morgan Wallen lovesick or battling with his demons. The album takes the listener on a journey through the depths of the county star's despair. Wallen ultimately ends the record on a positive note, sharing this story of redemption through the love of a good woman.
  • Codeine, it got Elvis
    Whiskey, it got Hank
    I always thought somethin' like that
    Might send me on my way
    But you took hold of me
    Like only a woman can


    Wallen has found true happiness and no longer feels trapped by his own self-destructive tendencies. While he once believed he'd suffer a similar fate to that of Elvis Presley and Hank Williams, succumbing to the vices of codeine and whiskey, he has now found contentment and a renewed sense of purpose thanks to the love he has found.
  • Ben Johnson, Blake Pendergrass and Josh Thompson wrote "Dying Man." Though he addresses a woman, Wallen is actually talking about his son.

    "I don't have a girlfriend or a wife so I would be in authentic if I'm singing a love song about a woman changing my life," he explained to American Songwriter in a video. "That wouldn't feel right to me, but my son did and that's where the song hits home to me."
  • "Dying Man" opens with a guitar intro nearly identical to One Thing At A Time's opening track, "Born With a Beer in My Hand," suggesting Wallen is bringing the listener full circle.
  • While making the One Thing At A Time album, Wallen enlisted friends and family to give feedback on the songs in progress, often holding informal listening parties where he would gauge reactions to different tracks. He even brought in his mother to sing backing vocals on a couple of songs, including "Dying Man," making the project a true family affair.

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