Thomas Rhett escapes the shackles of prejudice in a moving new country ballad, walking a real life “Death Row” with Tyler Hubbard and Russell Dickerson.
A pure-country redemption anthem written by TR with Ashley Gorley and Zack Crowell, “Death Row” was inspired after TR, Hubbard and Dickerson visited a men’s prison in Tennessee in 2019, taking part in a ministry event to perform for inmates. At first thinking they were there to inspire the prisoners, TR says the trio ended up learning some lessons of their own, and came away with a fresh perspective on life. Delivered with acoustic guitars and heartfelt voices, the track’s universal truth is simple: no matter how different we all seem, we’re all the same at our core.
“Tyler, Russell and I went and played some songs for a men’s prison here in Tennessee,” Thomas Rhett shares. “We left with a lot of complex feelings, so I started writing as a way to process the heaviness. Our goal was for people to understand our experience by way of music – it’s basically a page directly from our journal that day.”
“Yeah, we talked hunting, we talked fishing / Like I do with boys back home / How Jesus is the ticket / And narrow is the road / About how all we need is forgiveness / ‘Fore we see them streets of gold / Yeah, I learned a lot ’bout livin’ from them boys down on death row,” goes the chorus.
“Death Row” is part of TR’s upcoming Where We Started album, which arrives on April 1 and also includes the current single, “Slow Down Summer.” Thomas Rhett will perform the single at the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards on Monday (March 7), which air on on Prime Video at 8 pm ET. He’ll also share the stage with newcomer BRELAND for “Praise the Lord,” and is nominated for two awards on the night.
Meanwhile, check out TR in the first new Fritos television commercial in 20 years here.
