No musical genre truly celebrates hometowns as much as country music. The artists and fans of country music have a deep love and reverence for home that naturally comes out in the music. This theme has been prevalent since the beginnings of country music, most likely due to the fact that people living the country lifestyle are generally proud of their upbringing. Throughout the years, songs about home have inundated the country airwaves, and many of them focus on life in a small Southern town. These days, however, country stars come from small towns and big cities all over the country, and wherever "home" is to them is what they sing about. No matter what kind of hometown is being featured, country artists and fans will always have a love and certain nostalgia for home, and here are 12 of the best country songs about home and hometowns.
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12. "Who Says You Can't Go Home," Bon Jovi feat. Jennifer Nettles
Bon Jovi teamed with country singer Jennifer Nettles for this duet about a "hometown boy, born a rolling stone" who realizes how special his hometown is after spending years on the road.
11. "Home," Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton put his own spin on Michael Bublé's "Home," a ballad that serves as a reminder that no matter where you're able to travel to in life, there's nothing like coming home.
10. "Take Me Home, Country Roads," John Denver
John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," a timeless tribute to the beauty of West Virginia, is one of the most beloved songs about celebrating home.
9. "Green Green Grass of Home," Porter Wagoner
Made famous by Porter Wagoner and also recorded by Tom Jones, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, "Green Green Grass of Home" is a ballad that centers on a man returning to his hometown and reuiniting with loved ones. At the end of the song, it's revealed that the man was only dreaming and the true reality of the man's final trip home makes this country classic one of the most heartwrenching tunes ever written.
8. "My Hometown," Charlie Robison
Texas singer-songwriter Charlie Robison describes how, sometimes, even the best laid plans can't compare to the joy and comforts of your hometown.
"If you're ever out west son/And you're feeling like slowing down/ I'll see you around, around my hometown," Robison sings.
7. "Turning Home," David Nail
David Nail took the subject of home in a unique and beautiful direction with his 2010 song, "Turning Home." The song was co-written by Kenny Chesney, a man with a fondness for his own home, along with Scooter Carusoe. In the tune, Nail remembers all the bittersweet, teenage memories that took place in his hometown, which keep him coming back time and time again. The lyrics ring true for almost anyone who listens to them, which is part of why the song was such a success for Nail.
6. "Half of my Hometown," Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney)
Songs about hometowns are just as prevalent in modern country music as they have been in the past, and Kelsea Ballerini's 2021 single, "Half of My Hometown," showcases that. In this song, Ballerini sings about her hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., describing how some people from her town, including her, have moved onto greener pastures, but other people stayed there. She gives nods to her home and her high school throughout the song, and she concludes that, even though she left, a part of her still lives there. The song also features country star Kenny Chesney, who is also from East Tennessee, making the tune all the more authentic.
5. "My Town," Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry were a duo who often sang about their country pride, and that is true in their 2002 song, "My Town." The song is simple, but it packs a punch, as the duo describes all the unpretentious things they love about their town. Throughout the lyrics, it's clear that this small country town has seen better days ("There ain't much going on here since they closed the mill"), but it's still their hometown forever. "Where I came back to settle down / This is where they'll put me in the ground / This is my town," they sing.
4. "Back Where I Come From," Kenny Chesney
It's no secret that Kenny Chesney is proud of his upbringing near Knoxville, Tenn., and he sings all about it in his single, "Back Where I Come From." Like many of the tunes about hometowns, Chesney describes all the things he loves about his hometown and says he'll end up there one day "when it's said and done." Chesney describes the town as a place full of "Blue eyes on a Saturday night," "Tanned legs in the broad daylight," and more, and he's more than proud to admit that he loves where he's from.
3. "Give Me Back My Hometown," Eric Church
Eric Church breaches the subject of hometowns in his tune, "Give Me Back My Hometown," which acts as a hometown tune and a heartbreak tune. In the song, Church sings from the perspective of a man who has gone through a break up, and everything in his home, which he previously loved, now reminds him of his ex. This frustrates him and leads him to demand that he get his hometown — free from all the memories of heartbreak — back.
2. "My Tennessee Mountain Home," Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton has often spoken of her upbringing on her family's farm in East Tennessee, and she brings the stories of her childhood to life with her 1972 tune, "My Tennessee Mountain Home." In this country song about family, Parton vividly describes some of her childhood memories — from sitting on the porch, to listening to the crickets sing, to walking home from church — Dolly remembers the paradise in which she grew up.
1. "The House That Built Me," Miranda Lambert
There may be no better song about the comfort of home than Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me," a modern classic about how often the best place to find ourselves is right where we grew up.
