'With Heaven On Top' by Zach Bryan - Lyrics & Meaning

With Zach Bryan’s phenomenally anticipated sixth studio album With Heaven On Top released on January 9th, 2026, the master songwriter handed us a whole bundle of songs to add to playlists and let into our hearts.

Some of them were slightly more familiar - the album’s title track one that Bryan had been teasing, and even performing, for almost a year before its official release.

A recording of ‘With Heaven On Top’ was making the rounds on social media across 2025, and on September 19th, 2025, Bryan performed the track on stage with friend and collaborator Matthew McConaughey at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

The song seems to capture all the sentiments that run throughout Bryan’s impressive discography - his attitude of embracing the good and the bad but coming out of the other side ‘With Heaven on Top’.

For a title track, it positions itself as a welcoming into Bryan’s distinctly locational and time-specific writing and closes the album beautifully. Much like the poems he reads and writes, the format of ‘With Heaven on Top’ flows freely and easily. It’s not far off from his other poetic offerings like the Jack Kerouac-inspired ‘Burn, Burn, Burn’.

In a contemporary world where generic hooks and predictable songwriting dominates radio-play, Bryan is once again confidently standing out from the crowd with his simple yet intricate words. There’s no doubting the fact that this is a stand-out title track.

Bryan leans into his signature sound on ‘With Heaven on Top’ with his words being accompanied by his trusty acoustic guitar. In the background, some steel gently wails and cries.

Harmonies from up-and-coming New York artist Grumpy bring in a feeling of comfort and warmth throughout the song. Bryan’s acoustic picking keeps the song moving forwards before some strings come sweeping into the song and percussion begins to pick up a steady rhythm. As a title track, this one feels authentically and classically Zach Bryan.

‘Gonna fight, gonna cry, gonna fall in love
Gonna scrap and claw for what we're dreaming of
Gonna spend a night in jail after pissing off a cop
Go through hell with Heaven on top’

As Bryan kicks things off, he notes the importance of embracing the things in life that sometimes we’d prefer to turn away from. The hardest feelings are, ultimately, what we gain the most from, so even when we do have to “scrap and claw” for the things we dream of achieving, it’s usually worth it.

In his typical autobiographical writing style, Bryan recalls a time when he might have been caught up in some trouble: “gonna spend a night in jail after pissing off a cop”. Across 2025, Bryan’s name was in countless headlines and controversies, but it seems that he’s been reflecting on his highs and lows and the one thing he’s trying to hold onto, is to make it “through hell with Heaven on top”.

‘Lose some folks that we hold dear
The fireflies out at Toogie's shine awfully clear'

Losing someone we love is always going to be one of life’s most difficult moments; yet Bryan’s immediate follow up to the pain of death comes with the brightness of the “fireflies out at Toogie’s”, recognising the lingering joy in simplicity and memory. Whether Toogie’s is a restaurant, a friend’s home or a nickname for a place he’s visited, we’re not sure - but it sounds as if it’s somewhere that offers the songwriter a whole lot of comfort.

‘You won't find no answers safe at home
You can't learn heartbreak from a poem
And every hard time, song rhyme, friend you've got
You'll have, with Heaven on top
You'll have, with Heaven on top’

He reminds us that we just have to live bravely and honestly in order to grow. Move outside of your comfort zone, because home offers too much familiarity. Bryan might not be the first person to share his love through literature, poetry and music - but really, you have to experience the words yourself to understand the feelings. With the things and people we love surrounding us, then even the hard times will be sheltered by “Heaven on top”.

'Fight for our flags in some foreign place
While those greedy politician boys all rat race‘

Bryan’s experience in the U.S. Navy has seen him frequently bringing in stories of ‘American Boys’ and his time spent serving his country throughout his discography. But in 2025, the Oklahoman started making some more direct political statements, especially with the song ‘Bad News’ - another popular track from With Heaven On Top - addressing the current political climate of America. Whatever position you’re in, though, the final line of this verse seems to be an astutely accurate overarching judgement on the world - one that most people likely share.

‘Drive to California and surf the coast
Be known for cutting up and cutting shit too close
It's a long hard day and a talk with dad
It's a heavy-footed boy in an ol' fastback’

Bryan’s career has seen him reach every corner of the world, and with his upcoming ‘With Heaven on Tour’ stops, he’s only going to keep moving in 2026; but even in his time off, the Travelling Man seems to just keep travelling. Apparently, his time in California has been spent surfing and Bryan’s songwriting skills are shown off on the line “cutting up and cutting shit too close” that fits both his time on the water, and his seemingly unpredictable and sometimes risky personality.

His celebration of the simple ordinary and the things that keep us looking forwards and upwards continue as he notes his love for a talk with his father after a long day, and a (possibly too fast) drive in an old car. For one of the biggest stars in the world of country music, Bryan might just be more grounded than ever before.

“Gonna fight, gonna cry, gonna fall in love
Gonna scrap and claw for what we're dreaming of
Gonna spend a night in jail after pissing off a cop
Go through hell with Heaven on top
Lose some folks that we hold dear
The fireflies out at Toogie's shine awfully clear

You won't find no answers safe at home
You can't learn heartbreak from a poem
And every hard time, song rhyme, friend you've got
You'll have, with Heaven on top
You'll have, with Heaven on top

Fight for our flags in some foreign place
While those greedy politician boys all rat race
Drive to California and surf the coast
Be known for cutting up and cutting shit too close
It's a long hard day and a talk with dad
It's a heavy-footed boy in an ol' fastback

You won't find no answers safe at home
You can't learn heartbreak from a poem
And every hard time, song rhyme, friend you've got
You'll have, with Heaven on top
You'll have, with Heaven on top

You won't find no answers safe at home
You can't learn heartbreak from a poem
And every hard time, song rhyme, friend you've got
You'll have, with Heaven on top
You'll have, with Heaven on top”

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For more on Zach Bryan, see below:

Zach Bryan

Artist