Sometimes good ideas come to you when you least expect them to.
That’s what happened to country music artist Charles Wesley Godwin when he accidentally ran into (literally) an idea for his song “Jesse” from his 2021 album How the Mighty Fall.
The West Virginia native recently posted a video about how he enjoys the many benefits of running, and talked about how he uses that exercise time to meditate on song ideas:
“Running helps me clear my head and kind of gets the stress out. Usually if I go for a run in the morning, the rest of the day, it’s kind of hard to get me too shook. And I use that time to work on songs.
Think about it in my own head or listen to something that I’m interested in. It also helps fight off the ‘dad bod’ a little bit, and I just try to slow the decline.”
Never hurts to fight the good fight against the “dad bod.”
CWG went on to say that it was actually on one of his runs when he stumbled upon some spray painted words on the side of a bridge that spoke to him:
“‘Jesse’ started when I was on a run. That’s a great example of how songs come sometimes from your environment. I ran underneath a bridge, and sprayed in red was a statement that said ‘are you thinking of me like I’m thinking of you.'”
I was running down the road ’bout a week ago…
If you haven’t joined our Strava run club yet, head to https://t.co/UXFqVnCO3J. Have some fun things in store for ’24!
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📹 Robert Tinnell (insta: roberttinnell1) pic.twitter.com/DN6Xe0EJHz— Charles Wesley Godwin (@CharlesWesleyG) January 4, 2024
Hearing that commentary from Charles Wesley Godwin and then listening back and looking at the lyrics of “Jesse” is almost like putting all of the puzzle pieces into place. Such a simple moment turned into a complex song, and one that has become a fan favorite for some.
And just think, randomly looking over at some red graffiti painted onto the side of a bridge transformed into this below:
“I was walking down the road ’bout a week agoUnderneath the bridge where long trucks rollThe bright red letters caught my eyesReading ‘Jesse do you miss me like I miss you tonight?’
Well Jesse don’t hear you and neither do I..
When you’re cryin’ at the heavens with wool-covered eyesYou made that bed now you can sleep tightWell Jesse don’t hear you and neither do I”
You can hear a live performance of the CWG hit below:
