Leaving home is never easy, even if you’re ready to go see the world and blaze new trails. These country songs capture that feeling of nostalgia and uncertainty perfectly, and listening to them after leaving home for good might just make you feel a little emotional.
“Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight” by The Oak Ridge Boys (1979)
“Just an ordinary story ’bout the way things go / ‘Round and around, nobody knows / But the highway goes on forever / That ol’ highway rolls on forever.”
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If you’ve ever left home for the sake of love and left everything you’ve ever known behind, this song will absolutely get under your skin. It’s both a warning tale about young, impressionable love and the choices we make when our minds are clouded. “Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight” by The Oak Ridge Boys is a memorable song for the ages. It’s one that topped both the US and Canadian country charts back in the day.
“You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins (2008)
“But you’re gonna miss this / You’re gonna want this back / You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast.”
Trace Adkins really captured how different seasons of life change us with this iconic entry on our list of country songs about leaving home. “You’re Gonna Miss This” follows the story of a girl who thinks of all the things she’ll do once she turns 18. Then, it dives into the expectations she places on herself after moving into her first home. At the end, we see the family she eventually creates when she’s older. The wheels of time turn on, and they never stop for us to appreciate much in the moment. “You’re Gonna Miss This” was a No. 12 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2008.
“Wide Open Spaces” by The Chicks (1998)
“Who doesn’t know what I’m talkin’ about / Who’s never left home, who’s never struck out / To find a dream and a life of their own / A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone.”
Honestly, when I think of country songs about leaving home, I think of this definitive anthem by The Chicks. “Wide Open Spaces” was a massive radio hit, and I can see why. This song is about leaving home and craving the wide open spaces of a new life. It resonated with a lot of listeners in 1998. “Wide Open Spaces” topped the country charts in both the US and Canada.
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