'House Again' by Hudson Westbrook - Lyrics and Meaning

While country at large has been enjoying its moment in the limelight over the last year or two, the red dirt subgenre has also been enjoying a smattering of new pledges, including Waylon Wyatt, Braxton Keith and its newest member, Hudson Westbrook.

Revitalizing the organic country-rock of red dirt, the rough-around-the-edges singer-songwriter has been popping out hit after hit that have all effectively connected with country's ravenous fanbase.

From the windows down anthem, 'Two Way Drive,' stunning cover of 'Johnny Walker,' propulsive blue collar love song '5 to 9' and his newest offering, the moody lovesick ballad 'House Again,' Westbrook is cementing himself as one of the genre's breakout success stories, and one that you ought to keep an eye on as the calendar turns over to 2025.

Capturing a neotraditional sound that marries the charms and sounds of giants like Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and Wyatt Flores, 'House Again' and all of the aforementioned tunes are slated to be included on his debut, self-titled EP, which will surely make a splash for the Texas crooner.

Surprisingly, Westbrook only first picked up a guitar in 2020, effectively teaching himself how to play while enrolled in high school. In 2023, during his time at Texas Tech, he started playing around with melodies, penning what would be the first of many songs to his name.

Now, co-writing most of his releases thus far, 'House Again' falls in that same lane as he partners with Dan Alley and Neil Medley to bring the melancholy ballad to life.

At times sounding similar to Keith Urban's lauded 'Blue Ain't Your Color,' the core of 'House Again' centers around a lonely electric guitar plucking along with the Texan's strong and compelling vocal delivery. With a woman's voice sprinkled in to add a rich harmony that parallels the feelings shared in the prose, it's a mostly stripped down and solemn tune as the narrator picks through the rubble of a broken relationship and tries to rebuild.

"Well this kitchen used to be a dance hall
Music on and the lights off
Just you and I

Used to be
Perfume on your pillow
New day through the window
Bringing out the blue in your eyes
Used to be
Four boots by the front door
But two ain't there anymore
And now it's just 4 empty walls
Where I lay my head and get no rest at all
The porch swing don't swing
The doorbell don't ring
And now it's just wood on concrete
And numbers on a mailbox on a used to be street
I guess you or I should have left when you did
The house you made a home is
Now just a house again"

We find our narrator sitting in an empty house thinking back on the memories and love that used to fill it.

A kitchen that doubled as a dance floor, unbridled hope and his other half living through the highs and low of every day with him, it was almost like heaven on earth. Yet now all of that is gone. Where there used to be bright bursts of color and joy, love and optimism for the future, now it's just four walls and a place to lay his head at night and not get any rest.

Now that his partner is gone, the place has morphed from a home full of love and happiness to just another house and he should've left it when she did, if he knew what was good for him. Now all the memories are like ghosts in a haunted house.

"These days all I hear is an echo
Of you saying baby don't go
And your goodbye

If you
Came back you'd be surprised
You wouldn't even recognize this place without you
What the hell did you do"

Still replaying all of the moments that led up to their split in his mind, it's almost like her voice is reverberating off the walls, all of his mistakes and shortcomings meeting him around every corner of the home they used to share.

He mentions the shock that she'd feel if she ever came back to this place, because without her in it, it's changed faces entirely. If he's learned anything, it's that his home was really in her, not the place they shared their life together.

"Cuz now it's just 4 empty walls
Where I lay my head and get no rest at all
The porch swing don't swing
The doorbell don't ring
And now it's just wood on concrete
And numbers on a mailbox on a used to be street
I guess you or I should have left when you did
The house you made a home is
Now just a house again"

While not much has been shared about 'House Again,' specifically, Westbrook has shared a lot of the heart behind his debut collection, releasing in late November 2024.

“So far, everything has been instant with my music career, and a lot has changed in my life quickly," he explains, drawing attention to the rapid response to his breakout tune, '5 to 9.' "As an artist, everything around you changes constantly, but the most important thing is keeping constants in your life. Over the last six months, I’ve learned the value of time. When you’re with the people who mean the most to you, it’s important to make the most of it”.

Reflecting on the creative process behind his debut EP, Westbrook adds, “When writing these tracks for the EP, I was reflecting on how I pray for the important people in my life, whether we are together or apart. The unwavering support from my fans has given me the confidence to release this project, and I believe these songs truly represent who I am as an artist. I hope they provide a special experience for listeners.”

Well this kitchen used to be a dance hall
Music on and the lights off
Just you and I

Used to be
Perfume on your pillow
New day through the window
Bringing out the blue in your eyes
Used to be
Four boots by the front door
But two ain't there anymore
And now it's just 4 empty walls
Where I lay my head and get no rest at all
The porch swing don't swing
The doorbell don't ring
And now it's just wood on concrete
And numbers on a mailbox on a used to be street
I guess you or I should have left when you did
The house you made a home is
Now just a house again

These days all I hear is an echo
Of you saying baby don't go
And your goodbye

If you
Came back you'd be surprised
You wouldn't even recognize this place without you
What the hell did you do

Cuz now it's just 4 empty walls
Where I lay my head and get no rest at all
The porch swing don't swing
The doorbell don't ring
And now it's just wood on concrete
And numbers on a mailbox on a used to be street
I guess you or I should have left when you did
The house you made a home is
Now just a house again

A kitchen that used to be a dance hall
With music on and the lights off

But now it's just 4 empty walls
Where I lay my head and get no rest at all
The porch swing don't swing
The doorbell don't ring
And now it's just wood on concrete
And numbers on a mailbox on a used to be street
I guess you or I should have left when you did
The house you made a home is
Now just a house again

--

For more on Hudson Westbrook, see below: