The title and inspiration came from a tagline we recently saw describing a special place in the outdoors of Upstate Carolina. Those few words brought back memories of another time and another place—growing up on a rural farm just outside a small town.
Life there really could feel a world away. It was a time of country roads, Friday night football, church on Sunday, trips into town, and high school sock hops in the gymnasium. The Doo-Wop sound of the song was chosen to bring back the music and spirit of those high school days.
But those memories also carry a deeper meaning. Some of the young men and women who walked those same school hallways, shared those same friendships, and grew up in those same small communities would leave home after high school to serve our country.
"Close to Town but a World Away" looks back with gratitude on the simplicity and innocence of rural life while honoring a generation that grew up with a strong sense of family, community, faith, and service. It is a song about a place, a time, and memories that become more meaningful with the passing of the years.
LYRICS
Shoo-doo-wop, shoo-doo-be-doo
Sha-la-la, shoo-doo-wop
Close to town, but a world away
I grew up in a little farmhouse, down a dusty country lane
Cornfields in the sunshine, waiting on the summer rain
Dad worked the field; Mama kept us all in line
Life was slow and simple, every day was mighty fine
Saturday was a time for town, what a special day it'd be
One stoplight… two gas pumps, seemed all we'd ever need
Two bits for a movie ticket, then root beer floats and more
Everybody knew your family when you walked through every door
Sunday mornin' church bells were calling
Every face a friend we'd know
Sunday nights for dinner in the fellowship hall
Where love and faith were sure to grow
Friday night beneath the stadium lights
Cheering loud till the game was won
Sock hops, laughter filled the gym
Every dance was so much fun
The Twist had everyone moving
Stand By Me held hearts so tight
First sweet kisses, first slow dances
Everything just felt so right
Graduation day came quickly
Then our lives took different roads
Some stayed close, some crossed the country
Some carried freedom's heavy load
Some now more than a world away
Still wishin' they were close to town again
Close to town, but a world away
Those memories still light my way
Though many farms have disappeared
Every memory's crystal clear
Whoa-oh-oh, I still believe
Whoa-oh-oh, those days still live in me
Close to town, but a world away
Forever in my heart they'll stay
Shoo-doo-wop, shoo-doo-be-doo
Shoo-doo-wop, I remember you
Close to town, but a world away
A world away
Shoo-doo-wop