Life on the road can often by an unglamorous existence, but for musicians who have families it can also mean missing out seeing their kids grow up. Corey Smith has a touching new song, “Halfway Home,” in which he addresses the separation of the touring life.
Sung with the soft-spoken reassurance of a lullaby, “Halfway Home” draws on particulars to illustrate what it means to be apart: a trip to the coast here, another couple days or another couple weeks away there. It all adds up, and Smith knows it. “This might seem like a choice to you, but leaving’s something your dad’s gotta do,” he sings, while lamenting the next football game or talent show that he’ll have to miss. The new video that accompanies the song tugs at the heartstrings, pairing the lyrics with intimate footage of the all-too-few moments Smith has with his own children – as well as the ones that the Georgia singer-songwriter can’t be there to see.
“I’ve always said songwriting is my way of dealing with shit. I can’t think of a better example of that than ‘Halfway Home,’” Smith wrote on Twitter. “I was able to turn desperate homesickness into something positive and meaningful.”
“Halfway Home” is part of Smith’s ongoing “Great Wide Underground” project, which most recently saw him release the feisty “Empty Rooms” back in the spring. The accompanying tour picks back up at the end of July in Pensacola Beach, Florida.