Back to the Drawing Board for Stapleton with his New Release, "Starting Over"
From the first chord progression and tinge of the acoustic guitar strum, Chris Stapleton’s latest single “Starting Over” has strong Tom Petty influence. Cue “Wildflowers” vibes. Harmonizing with the melody is the subtle whoosh of a shaker sound creating a frolicking and comforting complement, reminding the listener of simple life mixed with a gypsy-country panache. Harmonizing lyrically with Stapleton is his wife, Morgane, who adds a calming richness to the song, and brings to life the literal message behind the simple serenade: “Wherever we are is where I wanna be/And Honey, for once in our life/Let's take our chances and roll the dice/I can be your lucky penny, you can be my four-leaf clover/Starting over.” Her voice blended with his illuminates the ‘love song’ personality this single has in its roots.
Though the song was recorded before the pandemic, the release of “Starting Over” could not be more timely or better suited for now; a time when rough days still sting, but hope is on the horizon — and the song reminds us we can create that very hope if we want to. Stapleton sings in verse 2, “This might not be an easy time/There's rivers to cross and hills to climb/Some days we might fall apart/And some nights might feel cold and dark/Nobody wins afraid of losing/And the hard roads are the ones worth choosing/Some days we'll look back and smile/And hope it was worth every mile.” And if that doesn’t say what every optimistic mind wants to feel in 2020, I don’t know what does.
A unique characteristic of “Starting Over” that makes the single so singable and charming, is the perfectly executed use of simple rhyming. The last word of each line rhymes inseparably and each verse is an accumulation of couplets in classic AABBCC rhyme scheme. Using rhymes so inextricably and literally is a narrow and dangerous path to walk, as this tactic can often come across through song as unoriginal, too simplistic, or cliche, but — of course — leave it to Chris Stapleton to execute this feat with cleverness and dexterity.
With plenty of nature imagery and metaphors, Stapleton draws us into simpler times behind our graphite engraved desks in fourth grade when the hardest part about our lives was the grass stains on our skinned-up knees. But he does this by simultaneously pulling on our adult heart strings, through relatable age and experience, admitting the moments when rough days feel extra tough, and we daydream of dancing across the opposite coastline with our love. Speaking of imagery and metaphors, the song puts me behind a desk graffiti-ed with graphite stains and indentations scourged out by dull pencils. Suddenly I’m reliving learning about rhyme-scheme and allusions, nature imagery and metaphors, cliches and analogies. Not only is Stapleton’s song mature in tone and appeal, it’s simplicity brings us back to childlike roots of daydreams and yearning for more in a hypnotically beautiful rabbit hole of ways. Suddenly, I want to pick it apart with a fine-tooth comb — out of admiration, not critique — and teach it in middle school language arts. The clever approach to Stapleton’s song is almost too simple to bear — it’s simply genius. And starting over means going back to the drawing board.
Stapleton opens the song with, “The road rolls out like a welcome mat/To a better place than the one we're at/And I ain't got no kinda plan/I've had all of this town I can stand/I got friends out on the coast/We can jump in the water and see what floats” and ends with the chorus, “..../Let's take our chances and roll the dice/I can be your lucky penny, you can be my four-leaf clover/Starting over/Starting over/Starting over/Starting over” paints the beauty and balance of life’s richness and troubles, and that the possibilities of taking the world at its worst and pursuing its best with the one you love is a journey worth every mile.
“Starting Over” has 1970’s charm but is classic to Chris Stapleton’s authentic country appeal. “Starting Over” sounds like a sweet charade in a timely place — as if starting over is palpable in this very moment. With whimsical references to nature complementing a soft country love song, “Starting Over” is the hard reset and invigorating refresh we all need. In addition to “Starting Over,” released on Thursday, August 27th, Stapleton in the same week alluded to the release of his next full album on November 13, 2020. I for one am wondering if the album will be an eclectic collection of songs that might blend classic Stapleton with a new and unexpected side of Stapleton. ‘Starting over’ can have many meanings after all.
