Some People Do

Album: Old Dominion (2019)
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Songfacts®:

  • This sparse, moody ballad focuses on the idea of trying to give up bad habits and hurtful behavior.

    Most people don't change, but some people do

    And the hope that a loved one will stick by you as you work on becoming a better person.

    Most wouldn't forgive what I put you through
    But I'm here tonight, hoping some people do
  • Old Dominion lead singer Matt Ramsey penned the tune with Jesse Frasure, Thomas Rhett and Shane Mcanally. He told Billboard there's one simple lyric that he's especially proud of:

    Some people say sorry to hear it's okay
    But I know it's not so you don't have to say
    That you understand 'cause I know you don't
    And neither do I, that don't mean that I won't


    He explained that the lyric is saying, "I know you don't understand, neither do I, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try to show you the truth every day."

    Ramsey added the sentiment is "very real and relatable" and he's glad they "didn't try to paint it up with pretty words."
  • The piano ballad serves as an apology to times we've upset our loved ones. "It's a breaking-point kind of song. I think inherently we're all good people and want to be good people, but no matter who you are, sometimes you hurt the ones you love," Matthew Ramsey explained on Instagram. "It's about that desire to be the best person you can be for those people."
  • Old Dominion first met celebrity stylist Jason Schneidman back in 2016 when he was the hair and makeup guy on a photo shoot. The band liked him and kept using his services. As they got to know the hairdresser better, they learned he was previously homeless and that in his spare time Schneidman provides free haircuts for the homeless of Los Angeles.

    The poignant video shows Schneidman grooming some of LA's homeless with the help of Old Dominion.
    Ramsey recalled to ABC Audio how the idea for the clip came to him one night on the Old Dominion bus. "I was just looking at his Instagram," he recalled, "and seeing all these stories where he was going out and talking to homeless people and trying to clean 'em up and help 'em get their life on track. And it just clicked. And I thought, 'Man, this would be an amazing video for this song.'"

    "It's about change and saying 'I'm sorry,' and just trying to be better and different," Ramsey added. "And he really exemplifies that. So, thankfully, I texted him right then and he was up for."
  • The four songwriters were working on potential songs for both Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett to record the day they penned "Some People Do." They'd earlier written one song that ended up not really working for either artist. Shane McAnally recalled to The Boot they thought they'd finished the session, but Thomas Rhett sat down at the piano and started playing a possible idea. Somebody said, "Well, some people do." and Rhett responded, "That sounds like a song."

    The next two hours became a therapy session as the four wrote lines they needed to say to different people. "Some of it was to our spouses, some of it was to our friends, some of it was to our parents," McAnally explained. "It just was very personal to all of us for different reasons."

    For Matt Ramsey and Thomas Rhett, it's thinking about how their "lives got turned upside down when their artist careers took off." Back home they have families "that didn't sign up" for their father/husband being away all the time.
  • "Some People Do" became Old Dominion's first single since 2014's "Shut Me Up" that failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or reach the Top 30 of the Country chart.

Comments: 2

  • Stacey from CaAbsolutely LOVE this song. I heard it for the first time, just now and was in tears before it ended. Beautifully written, authentic and so incredibly real and true to life. As a recovering Alcoholic, with 2,837 days of sobriety, I also felt a yearning from the singer for a second chance within the lyrics, but an air of acceptance, whatever the result. It reminds me to NEVER count someone out (including ourselves) because they just may surprise you.
    Thank you for writing this☺️
  • My Three Son’s from Pa.My oldest Son struggles with alcohol.he has a beautiful wife and 2 children. He confessed a problem 4 years ago after the birth of his daughter when the marriage nearly ended. He has done AA with some success but has had some relapses. After the most recent week, I heard this song and the words were right on point. The world going crazy as well. I’ve listened over and over and forwarded thevutube video to my daughter in law and Son
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