Released: 2022
Zach Bryan’s ‘Us Then’ is a nostalgic ballad, filled with longing for a simpler time and a lost love. It’s a journey through various places and experiences, tied together by the constant yearning for a past relationship.
The song kicks off with a vivid image of Brooklyn’s towering buildings, a symbol of the singer’s feelings of insignificance and loneliness. The reference to ‘Sunday mornin’, comin’ down’ likely refers to the aftermath of a night of heavy drinking, a common theme in country music to depict sorrow.
The ‘Tequila out in Texas’ and ‘the devil that I met in Oklahoma’ are metaphors for the hardships and trials the singer has faced. They’re tougher and more painful than any physical discomfort, symbolizing emotional turmoil.
The line ‘I miss that old ball cap you stole from me’ shows a personal memory of the singer with his lost love. The ‘beatin’ from the boys in Baton Rouge’ is a literal or metaphorical fight, but it’s nothing compared to the emotional ‘beatin’ from loving you’.
The chorus ‘Take me back to us then’ is a plea to return to happier times. The ‘lawn chair holding you’ and ‘warm, warm light’ symbolize comfort, love, and simpler times. The ‘cheap smile’ could refer to a genuine, unpretentious happiness that the singer misses.
The second verse, with the ‘creek we jumped in’ and ‘heat would grow dry and old’, represents the evolution of their relationship. The ‘blood and guts’ line suggests that it took a lot of effort and sacrifice to reach their past happiness.
The song ends with repeated pleas to return to the past, underlining the singer’s deep longing and regret. ‘Oh ma, I could die tonight’ is a hyperbolic expression of his emotional pain and longing.
