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- Song Tennessee
- LyricsWoke up this morning dazed and confused
A thousand miles from home
Left my love down in the land
Where Rocky Top's their song
Burning the neon... - Artist(s) The Creekers
- Album River Rat
- Released April 12, 2025
- Label Warner Music Nashville
- Songwriter(s) Allen Hacker
- Producer(s) Steve Wilson
The Background
The six-piece group known as The Creekers are the latest to be welcomed as the new kids on the block. The bluegrass-centered band have their roots firmly planted in Kentucky, and over the last year or so, have burst onto the scene with an astounding confidence.
Their breakthrough hit came with 'Tennessee,' released on the 2025 EP River Rat. This love letter to the home of country music and the special person waiting there soared into the Top 5 on Spotify’s Viral 50 chart during the summer and gained them a pretty solid following. The popularity was (of course) fueled by the track making the rounds on TikTok, and as a result, the band’s big hit has racked up over 6 million streams on Spotify alone.
The latest big step for The Creekers came in September 2025 as the group signed with Warner Music Nashville. There’s no predicting just how far this talented rising roots band will go, but it’s looking very promising.
The Sound
The sound that The Creekers are able to conjure up is impressive to say the least.
Sitting in the tradition of bluegrass, the track kicks off with a banjo riff that is quickly joined by fiddle. As the chorus hits, the band falls into a full sound with the group’s harmonies adding an immediate warmth to the catchy song.
An acoustic guitar solo passed onto banjo in the middle of the track holds onto their traditional sound, but there’s no doubt that with hooks as good as ‘Tennessee’ has, their sound can easily move into country, with some pop infused moments, too.
It’s unsurprising that The Creekers have received comparisons to some of the contemporary bluegrass greats, with Allen Hacker bringing a Chris Stapleton feel to the track as he takes on lead vocals on ‘Tennessee.’
Paired with the full band, it’s like a second coming of The SteelDrivers themselves.
The Meaning
"Woke up this morning dazed and confused
A thousand miles from home
Left my love down in the land
Where Rocky Top's their song"
As these musicians often are, this story starts off with our protagonist being out on the road and a long way from home.
Although it could be that he’s just missing home, it seems he’s far away from someone special as well; and as he laments about the land where ‘Rocky Top’ is their song, he can only be talking about Tennessee.
"Burning the neon
Chasing a high I can't be on
And she's lying all alone
And I'm out here on the road"
Sometimes distance feels even greater when you’re imagining what the other person is doing, as our protagonist is trying to chase the high of being a star on the road. It seems that it’ll never quite be as fulfilling as being at home.
"All these mountains are beautiful to me
But I left my heart in Tennessee"
Reaching the chorus, it’s emphasized that despite the fun and excitement of life on the road, sometimes nothing is as good as being at home with the one person that brings a world of comfort.
"Another town, burn it down
At a late-night show
Music was playing, my mind's racing
But my heart never roams
Well, she calls me up to say she's countin' down the days
One more to play and I can hardly wait"
As sweet a line as they come, our protagonist says that even though he might be traveling through every bar in every town his "heart never roams," it’s still in Tennessee.
Only one more day to go, one more show to play and then all that’s left is the journey home.
"50 miles left to go
Feels so far to me
Was she thinking? Is she waiting?
I just hope that she can see
My headlights are burnin' bright, I'm lightin' up the sky
Off 33, now it feels like home to me"
The song closes with that long awaited journey back home, driving through the night with headlights burning, there’s only one direction our country star is heading.
As the bluegrass number comes to an end, we’re left with a happy ending to this love story of home and the person that makes that place so special.
For the full lyrics to The Creekers' 'Tennessee', see below:
Woke up this morning dazed and confused
A thousand miles from home
Left my love down in the land
Where Rocky Top's their song
Burning the neon
Chasing a high I can't be on
And she's lying all alone
And I'm out here on the road
All these mountains are beautiful to me
But I left my heart in Tennessee
All these mountains are beautiful to me
But I left my heart in Tennessee
Another town, burn it down
At a late-night show
Music was playing, my mind's racing
But my heart never roams
Well, she calls me up to say she's countin' down the days
One more to play and I can hardly wait
All these mountains are beautiful to me
But I left my heart in Tennessee
All these mountains are beautiful to me
But I left my heart in Tennessee
50 miles left to go
Feels so far to me
Was she thinking? Is she waiting?
I just hope that she can see
My headlights are burnin' bright, I'm lightin' up the sky
Off 33, now it feels like home to me
All these mountains are beautiful to me
But I left my heart in Tennessee
All these places are beautiful to see
But I left my heart in Tennessee
––
