Home Sweet

Album: Southern Symphony (2020)
Charted: 88
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Shortly after Russell Dickerson married his wife Kailey in May 2013, he was dropped from his songwriting deal. "Home Sweet" takes an intimate look back at their relationship from their difficult early months, when he wondered how he could pay the rent, to finding out Kailey was expecting. No matter what they're going through, Dickerson feels at ease when he's at home with his wife by his side.
  • The song starts with the couple arriving home after their honeymoon. That same week, Dickerson's income from his songwriting deal stopped, and the pair found themselves flat broke.

    Touching down, from a six-night honeymoon
    Sun-kissed kids, still drunk on love
    Went from, all-inclusive margaritas in Malibu
    To praying we could pay rent this month
  • The last verse describes the moment in April 2020 the Dickersons learned that they were going to be parents.

    Sitting on boxes in the living room laughing and crying
    Just staring at them two pink lines, huh


    Dickerson explained to Billboard: "Now we just moved into our new house and have a baby on the way, so yeah, 'Home Sweet' is about as spot-on, real-life as it gets."
  • During the chorus, Dickerson extols the sweet life he has with Kailey by his side.

    Wherever the wind blows
    Wherever this life goes
    Baby, all I know, ain't nothing like, nothing like
    Home sweet You and me


    Kailey gave birth to Remington Edward Dickerson on September 10, 2020. Russell told The Boot: "With a new baby and we're in a relatively new house that we just moved into last year, it's just like, that's kind of the phase of life, is 'home sweet you and me,' and it's like, no matter where we are, if we're on the road or if we're at home, home is where the heart is."
  • Kailey has been Dickinson's muse for a succession of successful love songs. His Hot 100 hits "Yours," "Blue Tacoma," "Every Little Thing" and "Love You Like I Used To" were all inspired by her.
  • Dickerson wrote the song with longtime buddy and collaborator Casey Brown, and with Lady A's Charles Kelley. The three penned it in 2018 when Dickerson was on the road with Lady A. He explained they wrote two songs that weekend, the first being "Something to Dance To," which he described as "a warmup song to get into the real stuff."

    After penning "Something to Dance To," Dickerson felt he and Brown were on a run. The producer threw out "Home Sweet Us" as an idea, to which Dickerson suggested, "Home Sweet You and Me." They started the track, and Dickerson quickly came up with the chorus. They then bought Kelley in and drove into his life with Kailey.
  • Kelley sang the demo, and according to Dickerson, he "absolutely crushed" it. When it came to Dickerson laying down the song, he told Billboard, "There was definitely a little pressure to live up to his amazing vocals. But I feel I did!"
  • Released on February 3, 2021, the visual marks the eighth anniversary of Dickerson and Kailey getting engaged. The clip opens by showing home video footage of the singer's proposal to his now-wife, followed by a montage of some of their special moments together. We see glimpses of their wedding day, the couple in front of their first home together, and footage of them cradling baby Remington.
  • Dickerson released a remix featuring Lady A on November 19, 2021. He said when he was working on the song with Charles Kelley, "I knew we had to get a cut with the band."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard

Joe Elliott of Def LeppardSongwriter Interviews

The Def Leppard frontman talks about their "lamentable" hit he never thought of as a single, and why he's juiced by his Mott The Hoople cover band.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."