If heaven wasn t so far away lyrics

Q: What is the country song about heaven?

Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, Kenny Chesney.

Justin Moore's latest single, 'If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away,' is the second time the song is getting radio airplay in the country music format. The song, originally recorded by Rhett Akins in 2006, was written about real life people that the songwriters -- Dallas Davidson, Brett Jones and Rob Hatch -- no longer had in their life.

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Background[edit]
Content[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
Chart performance[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
Certifications[edit]
References[edit]
What is the country song about heaven?
Where is Justin Moore from?

"The title 'If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away' was something that I came up with," Davidson tells Taste of Country. "I don’t remember if I read that or if it was just one of those things that popped in my head, but when Rob, Brett and I sat down one day, I brought up that title. We were talking about how if heaven wasn’t so far away, how nice it would be to literally hop in your car and go visit a lost loved one. We all pulled from our life experiences."

"If heaven wasn't so far away / I'd pack up the kids and go for the day / Introduce them to their grandpa / Watch 'em laugh at the way he talks / I'd find my long lost cousin John / The one we left back in Vietnam / Show him a picture of his daughter now / She's a doctor and he'd be proud / Then tell him we'd be back in a couple of days / In the rear view mirror we'd all watch 'em wave / Yeah, and losing them wouldn't be so hard to take / If heaven wasn't so far away," Moore sings in the lyrics of the chorus.

"I was thinking about my Granddad," Davidson says. "I think Rob was pulling from his as well, and I think Brett had lost his parents and a brother in Vietnam. Most of the things in that song are real characters. That was one of those chill-bump writing appointments where you try to be tough and try not to cry the whole time you’re writing it. That was a cool one. We didn’t have to try hard on that one. That just kind of popped out."

This week, 'If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away' takes over the No. 1 video spot on iTunes. The video has also entered the prestigious 'Top 20 Countdown' for both country video networks, CMT and GAC.

Watch the Justin Moore 'If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away' Video

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"If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away"

Single by Justin Moore

from the album Outlaws Like Me

Released

February 28, 2011

Genre

Country

Length

3:44

Label

Valory Music Group

Songwriter(s)

Dallas Davidson
Rob Hatch
Brett Jones

Producer(s)

Jeremy Stover

Justin Moore singles chronology

"How I Got to Be This Way"
(2010)

"If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away"
(2011)

"Bait a Hook"
(2011)

"If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" is a song written by Dallas Davidson, Rob Hatch and Brett Jones. It was first recorded by American country music artist Rhett Akins, whose version was released as a single in September 2006 but did not chart. Justin Moore covered the song and released it as a single in February 2011 as the lead-off single to his second studio album Outlaws Like Me. Moore's cover is his fifth single release, his third top 10 hit, and his second number one single.

Background[edit]

Moore said he chose to record the song because he thought that it was "one of those songs you hear one time, and know immediately that it’s special."[1]

Content[edit]

"If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" is a ballad in which a young man fantasizes about being able to spend a day in Heaven, visiting friends and family members who have died.[2] The man begins his fantasy when he drives across a bridge near a fishing spot where he and his grandfather spent time and bonded, and the grandfather also operated a fruit stand. Now a family man, he wonders what his children would think of their great grandfather upon meeting him.

Other deceaseds the man thinks about connecting with include a cousin John (who was killed in action in Vietnam), his hunting dog, three teenage girls who were classmates of his in 1999, and singers Hank Williams and Janis Joplin. With the later two, he says he would ask Williams why he took pills that eventually killed him "back in '53" and he asks Joplin to sing the second verse of "Me and Bobby McGee".

The central theme is the ability to cross the mortal divide and reconnect with loved ones lost long ago.[3]

Critical reception[edit]

Brian Mansfield of USA Today gave the song a positive review, calling it "a tearjerker in the classic country mold."[2] Giving it a "thumbs up" rating, Karlie Justus of Engine 145 noted the "small details" of the first verse and Moore's "easy twang," but thought that the second verse was not as well written.[4] In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin placed "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" at number one on his top 10 list of Moore's best songs.[5]

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Canada Country (Billboard)[6]	4
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7]	76
US Billboard Hot 100[8]	49
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9]	1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2011)	Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)[10]	14

Certifications[edit]

References[edit]

^ "Justin Moore Can Relate To Latest Single". Nashville.com. February 26, 2011. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
^ a b Mansfield, Brian (March 21, 2011). "Playlist: Justin Moore's 'Heaven,' plus 10 more". USA Today. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
^ AOL radio blog
^ Justus, Karlie (February 18, 2011). "Justin Moore — "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away"". Engine 145. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
^ Dauphin, Chuck (August 16, 2017). "Justin Moore's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
^ "Justin Moore Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
^ "Justin Moore Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
^ "Justin Moore Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
^ "Justin Moore Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
^ "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
^ "American single certifications – Justin Moore – If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 31, 2016.