Drew Baldridge is commemorating Father’s Day this year with release of his emotional new song, “Stay At Home Dad,” officially out today (June 18). In the tune co-written by Baldridge, Tyler Chambers, Dylan Marlowe, and Nick Schwarz, the singer offers up clever wordplay as he reminisces on being a young child pleading with his father not to go to work.
“Stay at home, dad / Don’t you wanna go fishing? / Throw the ball out in the back / If you do, I’ll do the dishes / Me and mama miss you bad / I’ll be the man ’til you get back / If it ain’t too much to ask, stay at home, dad,” sings Baldridge in the chorus.
In the second verse, Baldridge sings of welcoming a son of his own into the world, and while he and his dad are watching his new baby sleep in the hospital nursery, his father reminds him of the “hurting” that will come when his own son pleads for him to stay home. The song enforces the importance of Baldridge’s relationship with his own father and has the singer, who was married in May, already thinking about his relationships with his future children.
“I was really lucky in life to have a dad that worked multiple jobs to make sure that me, my brother, and my mom had everything we ever wanted,” Baldridge shared with Sounds Like Nashville, exclusively. “There was nothing I enjoyed more than going fishing or playing ball with him in the backyard, but when he worked so much that wasn’t something we could always do. So now with me getting married and thinking about having my own kids, I know this is gonna ring true with my kids saying ‘Stay At Home Dad’ because I’m gonna have to leave so much to go on tour. I just hope I can still be half the dad my dad was.”
In support of the release and in celebration of Father’s Day, Baldridge is also sharing 10 songs that remind him of his own dad.
1. Alabama – “Born Country”: This was the first country song my dad ever played me. I remember he had it on an old mix tape in his truck and we use to sing it everywhere we went.
2. John Anderson – “Money in the Bank”: This song was also on that mix tape. I can still hear my dad singing the line “money in the baaaaaaank” haha.
3. Trace Adkins – “Rough and ready”: This was a song I started playing out in bars when I was 17 and it turned into my dads favorite song. For years it ended up being his ring tone when I called him.
4. Drew Baldridge – “It Is Well With My Soul”: The very last song on my first album I put out called Dirt On Us was “It Is Well With My Soul.” And what’s so special about it is I had my Dad and my Uncle Doug come into the studio and sing harmonies on it. I still tear up when I listen to it.
5. Gaither’s – “Because He Lives”: I grew up singing in church with my dad, and this was a song he always sang as a special on Easter Sunday. Then as I got older it turned into me singing it with him. This song always brings back so many memories every time I hear it.
6. Alabama – “Angels Among Us”: My dad was a school teacher and he actually sang this song as a special at our school Christmas Program when I was in 1st grade. And that was the same year I had my first ever live performance as a singer.
7. Eric Church – “Smoke a Little Smoke”: This was another song I later started singing in bars when I turned 17 that my dad just loved. Every time I’d sing that song I’d look out into the crowd and my dad would have the biggest smile on his face and would mouth every word.
8. Johnny Cash – “Rock Island Line”: I played this song out at a bar one night with my dad there and still to this day every time he comes to a show of mine he screams at me to play it. It’s by far his favorite song that I sing lol. It was also my grandpas favorite song too. So every time I sing this song I think of them.
9. Foreigner – “Jukebox Hero”: Foreigner was my dads favorite band. He use to tell me stories how he went and saw them in concert over 10 times. We use to ride in his truck and jam jukebox hero with the volume all the way up!
10. George Strait – “The Best Day”: Every time I hear this song I can’t help but think of my dad. We use to go night fishing on the River close to my house and when I hear this song it takes me right back to those days. I was lucky to have the best dad ever.