"Where I'm From" is a song written by Patrick Davis and Joe Leathers, and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer

Jason Michael Carroll Jason Michael Carroll (born June 13, 1978) is an American country music artist. After being discovered at a local talent competition in 2004, Carroll was signed to the Arista Nashville label in 2006, releasing his debut album ''Waitin' in the Co ...

. It was released in November 2008 as the lead-off single from his album '' Growing Up Is Getting Old'', released on April 28, 2009. The song is Carroll's fourth Top 40 hit on the country charts.

Content

"Where I'm From" is a mid-tempo with

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

and acoustic guitar flourishes. In the first verse, the narrator is on a flight to Los Angeles, with a ticket upgrade. A businessman next to him notices the narrator's clothing, and through conversation, the narrator tells the businessman about the rural lifestyle in the town where he was raised. In the second verse, the narrator and the businessman continue their conversation. The narrator explains that his older brother is sick with cancer (which is implied to be

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devices for a computer * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together ** Battery terminal, electrical contact used to ...

) and has asked to be brought home to his family and friends. In the third and final verse, the businessman promises to pray for the narrator's brother and reveals that he, too, had a rural upbringing.

Critical reception

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song a mixed review. He described the song as "all too

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

for him." He also said that the song is "not a bad song; it's just not a great one." CM Wilcox, of The 9513 gave the song a "thumbs down" review. He stated in his review that "the chorus treads the same ground as

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studi ...

's ' Where I Come From' and any number of other songs, while the verses concoct a storyline that is not only cliché, but also improbable and unfocused to the point of distraction–ultimately sinking any possibility of success."

Chart performance

"Where I'm From" debuted at number 60 on the U.S. ''Billboard''

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

chart dated December 6, 2008.

Year-end charts

References

{{Jason Michael Carroll 2008 singles 2008 songs Jason Michael Carroll songs Arista Nashville singles Song recordings produced by Don Gehman Songs written by Joe Leathers