Welcome to the Future – Brad Paisley

Welcome to another edition of Tune Talk!

This week is a fun milestone for the blog because we are officially tackling our very first country song: Brad Paisley’s “Welcome to the Future.”

Now, country music was not always the first thing I would reach for. I have always had a deep appreciation for the absolute classics—legends like Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton—but the modern generation of country music hadn’t really grabbed my attention. That all changed when I was sitting in my very first apartment before I got married.

I happened to catch the music video for Paisley’s “American Saturday Night,” and it made me immediately sit up and take note. I was instantly struck by what an incredible guitar player he is. (Which, looking back, is a huge “duh” realization—it is a fact the entire country music fanbase knew long before I did!)

Watching that first video sparked my interest enough to make me search for other Brad Paisley videos On Demand. I saw “Welcome to the Future” in the list of options, and gave it a play. Once I watched it, Brad Paisley had officially caught my attention. Listening to my second Paisley song, I found I was not only intrigued by his guitar skills, but with his lyrics as well. I thought, “this guy isn’t just writing all silly songs with fluff lyrics; some of it runs pretty deep.” I guess we could call that “duh” moment number 2!

Paisley actually wrote the song in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 presidential election. He was deeply struck by the historical significance of the moment, reflecting on how much the country had changed and progressed since the Civil Rights movement of his grandparents’ generation. Because the song captured that cultural shift so well, he was even invited to perform it live at the White House in 2009.

The song also perfectly captures a specific kind of technological nostalgia that so many of us can relate to. When he sings about how he needed a ride to the arcade to play Pac-Man as a kid, but now he can play it right on his phone, it perfectly highlights how wild it is that we literally carry computers in our pockets today. Kids today still enjoy the arcade, but it has a different vibe now. They are simply fun places to go and play some games, compared to being the places you once HAD to go to be able to play the latest releases.

Stumbling across Brad Paisley on my TV in that first apartment didn’t just introduce me to a great song; it turned me into a genuine fan, eventually leading me to attend quite a few of his concerts over the years. It is an awesome track, and a very worthy first entry for country music here on Tune Talk! As you can see from the ratings below, in our house I’m not alone on this one!

Now it’s your turn: How would you rate this song? There are so many great lines in this song – do you have a favorite one? Drop a comment and let us know!