Here And Now

Album: Here and Now (2020)
Charted: 38
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Here and Now" is a rocking, uplifting cut in which Kenny Chesney muses on living in the moment.

    Everybody's waitin', but they're waiting for what?
    Better get to livin', 'cause all we've got is
    Here and now


    The song doubles down on the singer's regular message of savoring life. According to a press release, the track "weighs how we live against what we want."
  • The song was born out of Chesney's desire to reconnect with some of his songwriter buddies, Craig Wiseman, David Garcia and David Lee Murphy. The four drank beer, told stories, and wrote songs for the pure joy of it. Inspired, Wiseman, Garcia and Murphy penned "Here And Now" on returning to their Malibu house after one of the sessions.
  • Chesney said the song "kind of blew my mind" when he first heard it. He said it bought to mind his 2013 No Shoes Nation tour, "The rush of it absolutely being the best place, best moment in the entire world. There's no rush like it."

    The singer added what really got to him was the way the song talks about enjoying the "here and now" rather than putting it off as we're so busy with stuff. "Only thing is, that's exactly how you miss everything that matters," he said.
  • Kenny Chesney gives fans an idea of how it feels to perform to a crowd of screaming fans in the music video, with help from director Shaun Silva. The clip utilizes extreme sports footage projected onto the backdrop to enhance the excitement.

    "There's a rush of adrenaline when you're doing one of these sports that's beyond measure," the singer told CMT. "It's the way it feels for us, waiting for the Kabuki to drop. I wanted to give people a sense of how that feels, that crazy wild sense of being totally alive, because I think that's what we're all seeking."
  • Kenny Chesney admitted it's not always easy to live out the song's message of living in the moment. "I struggle with that every day of my life, I truly do," he said. "It's really tough for me to be present and to be in the moment and try to live my life in that space."

    Chesney added that the tune serves as a reminder to him to keep focused on the "here and now."
  • Here and Now debuted at #1 on the US albums chart. The 233,000 album equivalents in its first seven days marked the biggest sales week for a country LP since Carrie Underwood's Cry Pretty in 2018.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.