"Where I'm From" is a song written by Patrick Davis and Joe Leathers, and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

singer Jason Michael Carroll. It was released in November 2008 as the lead-off single from his album '' Growing Up Is Getting Old'', released on April 28, 2009. The song is Carroll's fourth Top 40 hit on the country charts.

Content

"Where I'm From" is a mid-tempo with fiddle and acoustic guitar flourishes. In the first verse, the narrator is on a flight to Los Angeles, with a ticket upgrade. A businessman next to him notices the narrator's clothing, and through conversation, the narrator tells the businessman about the rural lifestyle in the town where he was raised. In the second verse, the narrator and the businessman continue their conversation. The narrator explains that his older brother is sick with cancer (which is implied to be terminal) and has asked to be brought home to his family and friends. In the third and final verse, the businessman promises to pray for the narrator's brother and reveals that he, too, had a rural upbringing.

Critical reception

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song a mixed review. He described the song as "all too

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

for him." He also said that the song is "not a bad song; it's just not a great one." CM Wilcox, of The 9513 gave the song a "thumbs down" review. He stated in his review that "the chorus treads the same ground as

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as " neotraditional country"), as well as penning man ...

's ' Where I Come From' and any number of other songs, while the verses concoct a storyline that is not only cliché, but also improbable and unfocused to the point of distraction–ultimately sinking any possibility of success." In 2019, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' ranked the song number one on their list of the 50 greatest Jay-Z songs.

Chart performance

"Where I'm From" debuted at number 60 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart dated December 6, 2008.

Year-end charts

References

{{Jason Michael Carroll 2008 singles 2008 songs Jason Michael Carroll songs Arista Nashville singles Song recordings produced by Don Gehman Songs written by Joe Leathers