Happy 56th birthday to country music’s Clay Walker!

Clay was one of the nicest guys in the business.  I never felt rushed when he was doing a Meet and Greet.  He was always happy to sign something or record a line for me.  He was the same way with listeners.  Someone would come out and tell folks “One picture and one signature per person,” and Clay would sign everything a listener brought back for him. 

Clay had his share of ballads over the years, but A Few Questions is one that really struck a chord with people.

It was released in April 2003 as the lead-off single and title track from his album of the same name. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hit Country Singles & Tracks Charts.

When the song was just hitting radio, Clay said, “‘A Few Questions’ is touching people the way it touched me the first time I heard it. The choruses come right out of the Book of Job. When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 1996, the Book of Job is part of the Bible I read over and over, trying to understand what I needed to do. And every time I sing the song, it lifts up my own spirits as much as it lifts those of others. My favorite line in the song is “When you look down on me, can you see the good through all the bad.” That’s a powerful thought.”  He told Country Weekly “It’s a very deep song to me. It really relates to me in a lot of ways, because I think everybody has questions in life.”

During an interview with CMT, Clay revealed that philosophical songs like “A Few Questions”, “The Chain of Love” and “It Ain’t Pretty”, are not his favorite form of songs when he said, “Those kinds of story songs are the ones that choke you up. I’m not a person that tends to listen to those songs a whole lot because they are deep. I like something with a little more vocal range in it. But those three songs really do make me think. It takes great songwriters to write them because they’re totally lyric-based. They’re not standing on production. They’re standing on the story and the words.”

As a man of faith, I can tell you there is a lot of stuff that I don’t understand.  All I know is that while I don’t know the answer, God does.  When people come to me and tell me of their struggles, I will often tell them that.  It’s not in the easy times that people question God, it’s during the tribulations we go through. 

I remember when my Grandpa died.  I was 11 and standing on the driveway crying.  I looked up and asked, “Why did you have to take him?  Why do good people have to die?” I had no idea, but He did.  If you have ever found yourself questioning “Why?” then you will be able to relate to this one.

Happy Birthday, Hoss!