Tim McGraw Releases New Songs “Pawn Shop Guitar” and “Song For America”

On May 29, country star Tim McGraw released two new songs ‘Pawn Shop Guitar’ and ‘Song For America’, McGraw’s first new tracks in over a year. Pawn Shop Guitar is an autobiographical song that follows a year of reflection and rest for McGraw, while Song For America celebrates America’s 250th birthday.     

In Pawn Shop Guitar McGraw tells the listener about selling his class ring to purchase a cheap guitar from a pawn shop in his hometown. He recalls his struggles of being a young musician at the start of his career when he says, “It was the best of times and the worst of times/singin’ on street corners for dollars, quarters and dimes.” 

The song has many rock elements with drums, bass and electric guitar. While still keeping the country elements with the lyrics using country lingo by McGraw saying “Another cowboy on Broadway”, “Old man said with wood and steel you can get the girl” and “never-say-dier”. 

Song For America is an anthem ode to the gratitude of the fabric and frame work of the United States. The song celebrates what it means to be an American–from having diverse opinions or to have a vast geographical landscape. The lyrics also pay homage to American troops and veterans with McGraw singing “Tears rain in Arlington for soldiers young and brave/white crosses on a field of green/above Old Glory waves.”

This song is a country ballad with the use of piano and deep lyrics, while having rock elements that take place in the middle of the song with the use of electric guitar, bass and drums.

McGraw’s Press Release shares challenges that he faced and his writing process for these two songs. McGraw says, “This is the first new music I’ve put out in over a year. It’s no secret that over the last few years I got sidelined with back and knee issues,” McGraw shares. “That time was challenging on so many levels, but one of the positive things that came out of it, aside from physically being back to 100%, was that it gave me time to reflect on my life and to write songs. I was able to really dig into some personal stories in those songs for the first time.”