Brett Eldredge Longs for Simpler Times in ‘Want That Back’ [Listen]
Brett Eldredge's "Want That Back" — released Friday, Jan. 14 — finds him deep in his memory bank. The song is nostalgic, looking back on the good ol' days and wishing for a time machine.
"The smell of old wood bleachers and the word of hometown preachers / Being rich with her and a cheap six pack / The shine of a new summer / Barefoot baseball with my brother / First-time freedom with the windows cracked / I want that back," Eldredge sings in the chorus.
In the verses, Eldredge barters with the world in an effort to return to simpler times. He'd gladly trade in small talk, hate and even the habit of checking his phone with every spare minute for his fonder years. Perhaps this is a nod to the smartphone hiatus the "Good Day" singer took back in 2019, when he operated on a flip phone for a few months in order to put more energy into his music.
The music video for "Want That Back" is also filled with sentimental value. The story follows four friends as they create a time capsule and bury it near the railroad tracks. Years down the road, three return to dig it up.
The chorus of "Want That Back" came to Eldredge in the middle to the night.
"I woke up at 3:33 one night and was feeling the weight of everything going on in the world," he says. "From the pandemic to the hate and the violence – all these different things made me crave the pure and simple parts of life that I miss. I was looking for comfort in these moments that I feel bring purpose into my life. It was just such a powerful feeling that overtook me, and I couldn’t go back to sleep until I wrote the whole chorus."
Next up, the "Lose My Mind" singer is headed to Europe for a handful of shows in May. The brief tour will take him to Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany and the Netherlands between May 2 to May 16.