Like many of music's greatest songwriters, Eric Church has knack for portraying the unique feeling of young love and the wild sense of adventure that goes along with it. In his 2011 hit "Springsteen," Church finds himself nostalgically looking back on a relationship that has ended, but in "Hell of a View," the characters in the song make their love work against all odds, living a "Toes hangin' off the edge" kind of life.
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The song was written by Church, Casey Beathard and Monty Criswell, but Church actually missed the beginning of the write. Instead, he was out for a jog in the mountains of North Carolina where he composed the triple album, Heart & Soul. ("Hell of a View" is included on the Soul portion).
"We were in North Carolina in the mountains, and when I came back in from a jog Casey immediately started playing the first part of the song he'd been working on with Monty," Church said, according to CMT.com.
"He had the line 'caught your wings on fire when I smoked my Bronco tires out of that town,' and I just thought that was such a great line," he continued. "I was smitten with it, so we finished it and then recorded it that night. I knew it was pretty special when it went down, because it felt like a big hit but at the same time it has that timeless quality to it."
Read More: The 10 Best Eric Church Songs
Aided by rhythmic electric guitar and background vocals from Joanna Cotten, Church sets the scene of the fast-paced love story in the verse, singing, "I was no daddy's dream / Was not your momma's prayer / But I was your first and your last ticket outta there."
Church continues singing about the kind of freewheeling life the couple in the song lead, singing, "I'm good at rollin' dice / No good at standing still / You liked the thought of chasin' life instead of dollar bills / We're livin' wreckless / Nothin' to catch us, baby, but the ground."
Then in the chorus, Church concludes that even though the couple doesn't live a traditional life, they have a "Hell of a View" from where they are. "You holdin' me holdin' you, it's a hell of a view." he sings.
"Hell of a View" was released as a single to country radio in November 2020 and it reached the No. 1 spot on the US Country Airplay chart in May 2021, becoming his 10th No. 1 single. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Now, nearly one year after its release, "Hell of a View" is seeking to take home a few awards at one of country music's biggest awards shows, the 2021 CMA Awards. The song is nominated for both Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the show, airing November 10th on ABC.
The 2020 Entertainer of the Year winner is also nominated yet again in that top category as well as being nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year. His Heart album, which features previous single "Stick That In Your Country Song," is also nominated for Album of the Year. Church is nominated alongside Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce and others.
Previous projects and songs by Church that have taken home CMA Awards include his Mr. Misunderstood album, "Raise 'Em Up" featuring Keith Urban, and his Chief album. Other pieces that have been nominated include "Some Of It," his Desperate Man album, "Kill A Word," "Record Year," and more.
