You ever find yourself in a creative groove? Like, ideas are just flowing, lyrics are landing right where they should, and every time you pick up your instrument, something real comes out? That was me when I wrote the lyrics for this song. I was on a tear—cranking out ideas and actually feeling good about ‘em.
But this particular song has a bit of a backstory.
A couple of years before the lyrics ever existed, I had already written and recorded the music. At the time, I was in a relationship, and my girlfriend then added her own lyrics and vocals to the track. I let her run with it—figured it might go somewhere. And then, well... things went south. Bad ending. The kind that leaves a sour taste when you even think about the past.
After we split, I wanted my song back. It felt like part of me had been hijacked. The problem was, every time I played that music, all I could hear was her. Her words. Her voice. I couldn’t shake it. So, I shelved the song.
Flash forward a few years, and I’m deep in this songwriting streak. Ideas are coming easy, and I’m feeling like now’s the time to take another swing at that old track. The music still had potential—hell, I always thought it was catchy—but I didn’t have a new angle yet. I didn’t know what story it needed to tell.
Then I had a conversation that changed everything.
I was on the phone with my kids—young adults at this point—and we were catching up. I’d been sending them demos here and there, keeping them in the loop with what I was working on. During the call, almost on a whim, I asked them, “Got any ideas for what I should write next?” I don’t usually ask for song topics, but something about the moment made it feel right.
And wouldn’t you know it, they hit me with:
“Why don’t you write a song for us?”
Boom. That stuck. It bounced around in my head for days. A song for my kids? What would that even sound like? I didn’t want to make it cheesy or overly sentimental. I wanted it to mean something—to be honest, to carry weight, to maybe even offer something useful.
So I thought, what do I want them to know?
They’re out there in the world now, making their own way. Maybe I could pass along some of the hard-earned lessons I’ve learned. A little advice, a little encouragement, a little bit of “life’s gonna throw punches, but you gotta keep going.”
And that’s how "You Gotta" was born.
It’s a song rooted in love and hope, but not in a soft, sugarcoated way. It’s about grit. About pushing through. About finding your own road even when it’s rocky. I wanted to give them something real—something they could carry with them.
It’s funny how a song that started in a place of frustration and emotional baggage ended up turning into something so positive. Life’s weird like that.