Thomas Rhett’s newly released song, “Death Row” featuring Tyler Hubbard and Russell Dickerson is the epitome of Country music. A powerful, true story transformed into lyrics that will stop you in your tracks.
LISTEN NOW: Thomas Rhett checks in with Audacy’s Katie Neal and shares the story behind “Death Row”
The song is inspired by a trip the three friends and musicians took to visit nearly 50 inmates on death row at a Nashville prison nearly two years ago as part of a prison ministry. While certainly a scary experience to start, it ended up being one that would solidify their faith and change their hearts forever.
“We went to the prison here in Nashville and brought some guitars and played some songs for about 45 people that were on death row,” Rhett told Audacy’s Katie Neal. “Never in a million years did I ever think that I would have been in that seat… [I was] honestly a little terrified, you know?”
He continued, “We started playin’ songs and it felt like I was just playing songs to people, that I knew. One guy got up and sang the most incredible version of ‘Amazing Grace’ you’ve ever heard. It was a strange spiritual experience… it put life into such a weird perspective and it kinda just reminded me of, I don’t know, just the fragility of life.”
Rhett leaned on songwriting to help process the powerful experience, which ultimately led to the song, “Death Row.” The tune will be included on his upcoming sixth studio album, Where We Started, arriving April 1.
“It took me a minute to be like, ‘This should be part of the record,’” Rhett admitted. “It was more of a, ‘This happened, I would love to write about it and then that’s it. I just need to get it off my chest.’”
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He continued, “But one morning, I was sitting at my house and I played a little verse [and] chorus of it on social media and so many people were just intrigued by that story… ‘cause it’s weird! It’s just a story that I felt like needed to be told and… since Tyler and Russell were there with me I was like ‘we did this together, we should sing about it together.’”
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Inspired by a real-life trip to death row
