Riley Green Releases Emotional New Song, ‘I Wish Grandpas Never Died’
Rising country star Riley Green continues to prove his staying power with the release of the emotional track “I Wish…
Riley Green; Photo by Connor Dwyer
Rising country star Riley Green continues to prove his staying power with the release of the emotional track “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”
The song became an instant fan-favorite when Green began performing it during his live shows and it’s one of 14 tracks set to appear on his forthcoming debut album, Different ‘Round Here, out September 20.
Written by Green with posthumous writing credits given to his two grandfathers, Lendon Bonds and Buford Green, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” finds the Alabama native confessing his various wishes about life.
“I wish even cars had truck beds / Every road was named Copperhead/ And coolers never run out of cold Bud Light / I wish high school home teams never lost / And backroad-drinking kids never got caught / I wish the price of gas was low and cotton was high / I wish honky-tonks didn’t have no closing time / And I wish grandpas never died,” Green sings throughout the chorus of the song.
Green’s grandfathers played an integral role in him becoming the artist he is today.
“My Grandaddy Buford was the country guy,” recently shared with Taste of Country. “He was really into like Merle Haggard, Roy Acuff, Hank Williams and … that was what I learned to sing and play. I never sang when I played guitar until my grandaddy started pushing me and me and him would sit around and he’d fiddle on the harmonica a little bit. That was where I got my traditional roots.”
His other grandfather, Grandaddy Lyndon, also encouraged him to pursue a career in music and was the inspiration behind “Numbers On The Cars,” another emotional track on his upcoming album.
“I Wish Grandpas Never Died” is an expertly written song that will resonate with fans for years to come. Fans can listen to the song above and purchase it HERE.
Riley Green is currently on tour with country superstar Brad Paisley. This fall, he’ll hit the road on his headlining Get That Man A Beer Tour, which kicks off September 5 in Statesboro, Georgia.
Written by
Lauren Jo Black
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.