Ian Noe ‘Kickin’ It In Nashville’ Lyrics and Song Meaning

The “Letter to Madeline” singer essentially groups the four as artists who shouldn’t be confused with George Jones, singing:

It’s the home of Ernie and HARDY
Morgan and old Luke Combs
Just because you like to party
Don’t make ‘ya George Jones

Noe then shifts his attention to what appears to be a broader criticism of artists who benefited from money and connections while trying to make it in Nashville.

Ian Noe’s Rise

Noe first made a name for himself in the alternative country scene with his 2019 debut album, Between the Country.

The prolific record included “Letter to Madeline,” “Meth Head,” and “Dead on the River (Rolling Down).”

The album helped establish Noe as a notable voice in the alternative country scene, but his output since then has been relatively limited.

Read More: Meghan Patrick Owns the Night at 2026 New Faces of Country Show

He followed it with River Fools & Mountain Saints in 2022 before returning this week with Canyon Falls Trailer Band.

The new 16-track project is a concept album centered on the fictional Canyon Falls Trailer Band, who perform a one-night showcase while seeking approval from the music industry.

“Kickin’ It In Nashville” closes the album with a much more direct look at the Nashville machine, making its choice as the final track feel particularly pointed.

Ian Noe’s “Kickin’ It In Nashville” Full Lyrics:

Now here’s a story ’bout a boy from the country
Leavin’ home with a Martin guitar
Told ’em all he was gone to get lucky
Singin’ bout a truck and a honky-tonk bar
Runnin’ ’round down on Broadway
Open mic, Wagon Wheel
Makin’ new friends on the weekends
Kickin’ it in Nashville

So he met an old picker at the Bluebird
Said he’d teach him how to write a good song
Said, “You gotta hit ’em hard with a big boom
Can’t be too short, but don’t make it too long”
Now how you land right in the middle?
How you pay all these bills?
Sweep the food court in the airport
Kickin’ it in Nashville

Then after years of gettin’ sneers from the labels
He found a fella who’d been diggin’ on his tunes
Sat him down with some people at a table
Told him, “If you sign it, son, we’ll take you to the moon
Now how you feed a hungry jackal?
How’s he get another kill?
Sittin’ on a boat, just a cutthroat
Kickin’ it in Nashville

It’s the home of Ernie and Hardy
Morgan and old Luke Combs
Just because you like to party
Don’t make you George Jones

Then he had a big cut on a record
And after debt, he had a little bit to burn
That’s when all the rivers dried like the desert
That’s when every road took some mighty dark turns
Now how you get back on the level?
And how you get off these pills?
Sweatin’ like hell in a motel
Kickin’ it in Nashville

Well, I got a long black train comin’ at me
I gotta run before the devil gets here
I gotta finish this song and make it miss me
I gotta get it out before the feeling disappears
And if I hit the bullseye, baby
I’m gonna eat a Happy Meal
Whistle down the Row in my steel-toes
Kickin’ it in Nashville