In 1986, Randy Travis had his second No. 1 single, with “Diggin’ Up Bones”. “Diggin’ Up Bones” follows the re-release of “On The Other Hand”. That song became Travis’s first one to reach the top of the charts. So Travis was still a relative newcomer when he released “Diggin’ Up Bones”, which is part of his freshman Storms Of Life album.
No one could have predicted the superstar career Travis would have when he was working on his debut album. Nor could anyone have predicted that one of the writers on “Diggin’ Up Bones” would later become the Vice President of the United States.
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“Diggin’ Up Bones” is written by Paul Overstreet, Nat Stuckey, and Al Gore. Of course, Gore would go on to become Vice President Gore, from 1993 to 2001, working under Bill Clinton. But in 1983, Gore was a member of Congress who happened to be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner that included Overstreet. It was Overstreet, who was also still relatively new to songwriting at the time, who had the title. Over the holiday, Gore and Overstreet created the lyrics.
The Success for Randy Travis After “Diggin’ Up Bones”
“Diggin’ Up Bones” is a song about a man who is heartbroken over the end of a relationship. The chorus says, “I’m diggin’ up bones, I’m diggin’ up bones / Exhuming things that’s better left alone / I’m resurrecting memories of a love that’s dead and gone / Yeah tonight I’m sittin’ alone diggin’ up bones.” The song became important to Travis, who was determined to release traditional country music, even if it wasn’t the most popular at the time.
“All he wanted to do was country,” Overstreet tells American Songwriter. “He didn’t want to be a pop artist. So, our songs were kind of a natural fit for him.”
Although Gore didn’t write another song for Travis, Overstreet wrote plenty of songs for the future Country Music Hall of Fame member. It’s Overstreet who is also a writer on songs like “On The Other Hand” and “Deeper Than The Holler”, among others.
“Diggin’ Up Bones” gave Travis his first Grammy nomination for Male Country Vocal Performance. After the release of this song, Travis hit the Top 5 with “No Place Like Home”, also from Storms of Life. In 1987, Travis released “Forever And Ever, Amen”. Also written by Overstreet, “Forever And Ever, Amen” is the first single from Travis’s sophomore Always & Forever record. “Forever And Ever, Amen” remains one of the biggest hits of his entire career.
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