We Didn't Have Much

Album: Straight Outta the Country (2020)
Charted: 41
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by Jeremy Stover, Randy Montana and Paul DiGiovanni, this song is about growing up in simpler but happier times. The lyrics find Justin Moore traveling down memory lane as he reminisces about "Tonka trucks and G.I. Joes," ensuring his Sunday church clothes are kept clean and a "little bitty" home filled with love.
  • Though Moore didn't write the song, its message about simplifying our lives reflects how he and his family have been living in the coronavirus era. "Like I'm building a chicken coop right now," the singer said in a media conversation. "We'll have our own fresh eggs. We planted a garden, which has been fun for the kids but has been lesson-teaching - you put work into something, you get something in return. Relying on your neighbors, I mean this is all cliché, cheesy-sounding stuff, but it's true, and it's kind of been our life over the last four or five months."
  • The song's nostalgic look back at simpler times is a popular theme in country music in an era when many have been forced to slow down. Runaway June's "We Were Rich" and Travis Denning's "Goodyears" are two other 2020 singles that reflect on finding joy in simplicity.
  • Moore released this on October 9, 2020 as the lead single from his sixth album. An engineer came to his pool house in Poyen, Arkansas and set up a vocal studio allowing him to record all his vocals at home. Moore didn't have to leave his home for writing sessions either, co-writing several songs on Zoom.
  • Justin Moore told ABC Audio the song takes him back to his childhood in Poyen, Arkansas. "You know, the song really kinda reminded me of my youth and how simple we lived," he said. "And, you know, throughout this thing, especially early on, we were forced as a family to lead a much more simple life, you know, and I really thought the song kind of spoke to the beauty in that simplicity."

    "It reminds me of my dad and me going to baseball practice for hours," Moore added, "or being out in the yard and me begging him to play catch with me till it gets dark, or shooting basketball and he's rebounding for me, those kinds of things."

Comments: 1

  • Dave Mullinax from Benton ArJustin, love your music and you have wonderful in-laws. Proud of you, especially happy your a local boy. I’m sure you and I met at Everett GMC about a year ago. Keep the great music coming.Dave
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Amy Lee of Evanescence

Amy Lee of EvanescenceSongwriter Interviews

The Evanescence frontwoman on the songs that have shifted meaning and her foray into kids' music.