Album: Vinyl (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The second single from Vinyl finds William Michael Morgan "on a mission, to be missin'" as he disappears to an unknown destination.

    It's just a mood I get in, now and then
    When I need to get my head clear
    I turn off my phone, get lost, get gone
    And flat out disappear


    Escaping the daily rat race is a popular theme in country songwriting. Other recent examples include Shelby Lynne's "Something To Be Said," Josh Turner's "Lay Low" and Kenny Chesney's "Pirate Flag."
  • The song was written by Rhett Akins ("Honey Bee," "Star of the Show") and Marv Green ("Wasted," "Shotgun Rider"). Akins is often hard to find during the hunting season and it was he who brought the idea to the table.

    "The song is basically about me," he told Billboard magazine. "I do go missing a lot. People text me. They finally start sending me direct messages, wanting to know if I'm still alive: 'Dude, where are you?' I'm usually gone off hunting somewhere, and my phone died because it's so cold, or I just don't have any service."

    Akins actually came up with the concept after a friend went AWOL for an extended period. "He finally answered the phone, and I was like, 'Dude, did you go missing?'" said the songwriter. "He said something to the effect of missing was his favorite place to be. I don't know if he said it exactly like we wrote it, but that's where I got the idea."
  • The music video was filmed and directed by Jack Guy and shot in the California desert. "My favorite part about shooting this music video was the location," said Morgan of the clip. "We were surrounded by a bunch of mountains and out in the desert. The sun was shining down on us. It was a lot of fun."
  • The song resonated with Morgan from first listen in part because of how hectic his life has become. "It's message is more of, at least how I take it is, this whole world will beat you down - just life in general, your job, your babies, your kids - they'll beat you down. It's all about just getting lost for a little bit," the singer explained. "Whether missing means going out on the ocean somewhere and fishing, or sitting in a stand somewhere in the woods, or just turning off your phone and watching a little TV, anything but the news."

    "But I think everybody needs to get missed, and just clear their head off, rejuvenate for a while," Morgan added. "That's kind of why I gravitated toward the song so much."

Comments: 1

  • Swell from New South WalesI love love love this song.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Zac Hanson

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.