Kenny Chesney Didn’t Write What He Says Is One of His Most Autobiographical Hits

In 2010, Kenny Chesney released “Boys Of Fall”. A song about the love of football, Chesney’s favorite sport, “Boys Of Fall” is the first single from Hemingway’s Whiskey, a record Chesney also released in 2010.

“Boys Of Fall” starts with, “When I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass / I’m back in my helmet, cleats, and shoulder pads / Standing in the huddle listening to the call / Fans going crazy for the boys of fall.“

Chesney, who played football in high school, has been a diehard fan of the sport for his entire life. So it’s surprising that Chesney didn’t actually write “Boys Of Fall”, which was instead written by Casey Beathard and Dave Turnbull. Still, Chesney says it’s “Boys Of Fall” that remains one of his most autobiographical songs, even though he is not a writer on the tune.

“I just stopped right there, and played it over and over again,” Chesney says, recalling when he first heard “Boys Of Fall”. “I knew—as maybe only someone who has felt that thrill of rushing out onto the field on a cold Friday night can—that was exactly how it is. It also gives you a sense of why playing football in high school is such a powerful thing for anyone who does it. It’s life-changing. For anyone who’s never experienced that, this song helps them understand why.”

What Kenny Chesney Says About “Boys Of Fall”

Chesney is from East Tennessee, just part of what made him resonate with “Boys Of Fall” the first time he heard it.

 “‘Boys Of Fall’ is a perfect description of how I grew up and where I grew up,” Chesney tells Billboard. “That song meant so much to me, and I thought, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of kids out there and a lot of people that have that feeling in their lives.’ There’s a line in the song that says, ‘In little towns like mine, that’s all we got.’ And that’s the way it was in East Tennessee, and still is.”

Chesney instantly knew that “Boys Of Fall” was the perfect song for him.

“I made everybody come on the bus and said, ‘Listen to this,’” Chesney shares. “I knew we had something that was very common. A lot of people that listen to my music and that are passionate about what we do out on the road… I’ve been pretty perceptive over the years, and I think that we kind of grew up the same way. I see myself a lot in my fans, and I think vice versa. I hope so anyway.”

Not surprisingly, several prominent football players and coaches appear in “Boys Of Fall”, including Sean Payton, Nick Saban, John Madden, and others. In 2010, Chesney produced a college football documentary, also titled Boys Of Fall.

Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

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