‘Ride Around Heaven’ by Luke Combs - Lyrics & Meaning

From top to bottom of his 2024 album, Fathers & Sons, country megastar Luke Combs explores the critical relationships between dads and their little men.

Though he has plenty of experience for himself now – thanks to his boys Tex and Beau – the album also looks at other paternal connections, such as that with his grandfather.

The tenth of the record's twelve tracks, 'Ride Around Heaven,' is Combs' dreamy take on one of country music's central songwriting themes: heaven.

Just like the rest of the album, 'Ride Around Heaven' sees a trusted trio of co-producers behind the soundboard: Combs, Chip Matthews & Jonathan Singleton, all of whom have been in the studio for many of Combs' past releases.

Though some of the tracks on Fathers & Sons include some new names and co-writers not often seen in Combs' writing circle, as well as a handful of outside cuts, this song is a Combs classic with a team of Casey Beathard, Jeremy Stover and Wyatt McCubbin writing the acoustic ode alongside Combs.

Taking shape as a calming, nostalgic ballad as Combs opines what he thinks heaven would be like, 'Ride Around Heaven' doesn't try to overcomplicate anything on the production front, keeping things simple and sweet for its three-minute trip up to paradise and back.

"I remember drifting off in my king-size bed and waking up in his short-bed Ford
He was lit up like that road he'd never took me down before
So when you ask me how I slept last night, girl, I don't believe I did
Call me crazy, but I think Grandpa picked me up about half past ten"

The song opens with Combs seemingly remembering his dream from the night before. Noting that he fell asleep in his bed at home, he explains that where he woke up was somewhere else entirely.

Coming to in an old Ford truck, he mentions that "he was lit up," though not giving us an immediate clue as to who he's referring to. However, in just a matter of seconds, we come to find out that in his dream, Combs was able to spend time with his dearly departed grandfather.

He knows it might sound crazy, but he's convinced that his dream was reality as he tells us more about what happened the night before.

"We took a ride around and talked about the way back when's and the 'I know now'
Somewhere past them stars and clouds, I swear I saw the light
Now he ain't but a prayer away from one more Sunday drive
We took a ridе around Heaven last night"

As we enter the chorus, Combs shares that he and his grandfather spent much of their time chatting and catching up on how things used to be and how they are now, about the lessons learned and the journey he's had along the way.

Swearing that he "saw the light" in a non-dying sense, Combs explains that he understands that his grandfather is only a prayer away and that he'll also be around, metaphorically, to pick him up and take him for a drive.

"With that Beech-Nut in his jaw 'neath thе beard without no gray
He laughed about me crying on the day he flew away
He turned up 'Amazing Grace', and we both sang along
He said, 'I better get you back and get on home 'fore Grandma knows I'm gone'"

Taking us back to the specifics of his dream, Combs notes that, in heaven, his grandfather doesn't look as old and frail as he might've on earth. In fact, there wasn't even any gray in his beard.

Reminiscing on the day his grandfather died and Combs' visceral reaction to the loss, the two share a sweet moment of listening to the eerily beautiful 'Amazing Grace' together as they both sang along with deep love and conviction.

Though, as we all understand so well, all good things must eventually come to an end as the dream starts to conclude.

"It felt so real, I could hear them Goodyears pulling out the front gate
So real, I wouldn't doubt if there's an oil spot in the driveway

We took a ride around and talked about the way back when's and the I know now
Somewhere past them stars and clouds, I swear I saw the light
But he ain't but a prayer away from one more Sunday drive
We took a ride around Heaven
We took a ride around Heaven
We took a ride around Heaven last night"

I remember drifting off in my king-size bed and waking up in his short-bed Ford
He was lit up like that road he'd never took me down before
So when you ask me how I slept last night, girl, I don't believe I did
Call me crazy, but I think Grandpa picked me up about half past ten

We took a ride around and talked about the way back when's and the 'I know now'
Somewhere past them stars and clouds, I swear I saw the light
Now he ain't but a prayer away from one more Sunday drive
We took a ridе around Heaven last night

With that Beech-Nut in his jaw 'neath thе beard without no gray
He laughed about me crying on the day he flew away
He turned up 'Amazing Grace', and we both sang along
He said, 'I better get you back and get on home 'fore Grandma knows I'm gone'

We took a ride around and talked about the way back when's and the I know now
Somewhere past them stars and clouds, I swear I saw the light
Now he ain't but a prayer away from one more Sunday drive
We took a ride around Heaven last night

It felt so real, I could hear them Goodyears pulling out the front gate
So real, I wouldn't doubt if there's an oil spot in the driveway

We took a ride around and talked about the way back when's and the I know now
Somewhere past them stars and clouds, I swear I saw the light
But he ain't but a prayer away from one more Sunday drive
We took a ride around Heaven
We took a ride around Heaven
We took a ride around Heaven last night

––

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