Walk Like Him

Album: Telling All My Secrets (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Mitchell Tenpenny's father, Mitchel James Tenpenny Jr., passed away from a rare form of soft-tissue cancer in 2014. The singer reacted to losing his dad by numbing himself, but three years later he was driving his band's van when the dam burst and he completely broke down. "There was just something about the loneliness and everything, realizing that my dad's not there," Tenpenny explained to People.

    The country singer-songwriter decided to comfort himself by penning a song honoring his father. The phrase "walk like him" came into Tennypenny's head, inspired by the observation that his mother and grandmother had made all his life that his gait matches that of his dad's.
  • A couple of months after his breakdown episode, Tenpenny showed up at a songwriting session with Justin Ebach and Steven Dale Jones and threw in the "Walk Like Him" phrase as a potential idea. They were eager to explore it and the trio came up with a song that is filled with the traits that the singer shares with his father.

    Mama says I walk like him, feet at 10 and 2
    My uncle says I talk like him, I get my point across the room
    And if he were here today, he'd just laugh out loud when they say
    'Cause he knew that his boy was just like him


    Tenpenny said to People of his writing partners: "They pretty much just let me guide the whole thing and do it, and I'm very grateful for that because I don't know if it would have gotten written had they not let me do that."
  • Mitchell Tenpenny admitted to The Boot that he started crying a couple times while writing this song, especially when he came up with the line "'One day, my babies can look at me and see what he's like." Tenpenny explained this was because his mom had always grandkids, but they never got to meet him.

    "But it was something I really wanted to say because, you know," he explained, "I grew up from him. I'm so much like him. And so they will see a little bit of him."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."