ERNEST and Jelly Roll joined forces for a brand-new collaboration, titled “I Went To College / I Went To Jail.” The track is one of five new songs that the 2X CMA Triple Play Award winner released on Friday (Mar. 15) to coincide with the announcement of his highly-anticipated sophomore album, Nashville, Tennessee.
Listen To “I Went To College / I Went To Jail” Below
Co-written by ERNEST alongside Luke Bryan, Rivers Rutherford and Chandler Paul Walters, “I Went To College / I Went To Jail” finds the pair of country hitmakers reflecting on their respective life stories, how they met and the different paths that they took in life. “We both grew up in the 6-1-5/ Both sides of the train tracks/ Had two different lives/ Both sons of sinners, needing set free/ We met at a party over big bags of weed,” the “Son Of A Sinner” co-writers sing on the tune’s first verse.
As the song continues, the pair realize that despite taking very different journeys in life, they both ended up finding success in Music City with their music. “Well, who could’ve figured? And who could’ve known?/ We’d both wind up working down on music row/ With ten years hard labor we’ve both paid our dues/ I’m singing that country, I’m singing them blues,” ERNEST and Jelly Roll sing, trading lyrics on the tune’s bridge.
“And I went to college, and I went to jail/ One was a dorm room, one was a cell/ Who came out on top? Hell, it’s hard to tell/ I went to college, and I went to jail,” the pair of songwriters sing on the track’s chorus.
The Song Was Inspired By A Conversation ERNEST Had With Luke Bryan
Jelly Roll and ERNEST first teased “I Went To College / I Went To Jail” during a discussion on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast in December of 2023.
“We actually have a song on his new album that talks all about that, actually,” Jelly Roll revealed, before ERNEST added that the tune was inspired by a conversation he had with country superstar Luke Bryan. “So me and Luke Bryan are playing golf out on Troubadour, listening to some rap, and we start talking about Jelly Roll, and he was like, ‘Y’all have known each other for a while.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, we go back,’” ERNEST explained. “I used to go by his house and acquire some things, and we’d freestyle rap. And this was back in, like, 2010. Then I went to college, and he went to jail, and then we came back around all these years later. Then Luke was like, ‘Hold one motherfker, you better write that fckin’ song right now.’”
Jelly Roll then chimed in and shared that he received several FaceTime calls that day from ERNEST and Luke Bryan as they co-wrote the song while playing golf at The Troubadour together.
New Album, Nashville, Tennessee
In addition to dropping “I Went To College / I Went To Jail” with Jelly Roll, ERNEST also released four other new songs, including a duet with Lukas Nelson called “Why Dallas,” as well as “Ain’t As Easy,” “How’d We Get Here” and “Ain’t Too Late.”
All five of these new songs will appear on his forthcoming new album, Nashville, Tennessee. These new songs join already released tracks such as “Kiss Of Death” and “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room.” Arriving on April 12, the extensive 26-track album brings to life the musical vision of one of the modern era’s most influential country hitmakers and pays tribute, both in title and sound, to ERNEST hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.
Produced by Joey Moi, Nashville, Tennessee will also feature collaborations with Lainey Wilson (“Would If I Could”), Morgan Wallen (“Hangin’ On”), HARDY (“Creep”) and his two-year-old son, Ryman Saint (“Twinkle Twinkle [Live at Fenway Park]”).
The album not only holds special significance as a tribute to his hometown, but he also incorporated his family into the project. His two-year-old son, Ryman Saint, appears on “Twinkle Twinkle,” a live recording from ERNEST’s performance at Fenway Park that took place on August 16, 2023, as part of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour. ERNEST’s wife, Delaney Royer, is also part of the project, not on a song, but she captured the album art and his promotional photos surrounding the project.
Nashville, Tennessee Track List
- “I Went To College / I Went To Jail (feat. Jelly Roll)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Chandler Paul Walters, Rivers Rutherford, Luke Bryan)
- “Ain’t As Easy” (Ernest Keith Smith, Dean Dillon, Jessie Jo Dillon, Chandler Paul Walters)
- “Why Dallas (feat. Lukas Nelson)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Chandler Paul Walters, Grady Block, Jordan Merrigan, Lukas Nelson)
- “One More Heartache” (Ernest Keith Smith, Chandler Paul Walters, Jessie Jo Dillon, Dean Dillon)
- “Hangin’ On (feat. Morgan Wallen)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Grady Block, Rhys Rutherford, Jacob Durrett, Rafe Tenpenny)
- “Did It For The Story” (Ernest Keith Smith, John Byron, Ryan Vojtesak, Blake Pendergrass)
- “How’d We Get Here” (Ernest Keith Smith)
- “Never Said I Love You” (Ernest Keith Smith, Chandler Paul Walters)
- “Would If I Could (feat. Lainey Wilson)” (Dean Dillon, Donald Ewing II)
- “Honkytonk Fairytale” (Ernest Keith Smith, Rafe Tenpenny, Dallas Wilson, Brad Clawson)
- “Smokin’ Gun” (Ernest Keith Smith, Rhys Rutherford, Grady Block, Ryan Vojtesak, Blake Pendergrass)
- “Twinkle Twinkle (Live At Fenway Park) [feat. Ryman Saint]” (Jane Taylor)
- “Life Goes On” (Ernest Keith Smith, Ashley Gorley, Ryan Vojtesak)
- “If You Don’t Know By Now” (Clint Daniels, Dale Dodson)
- “You Don’t Have To Die” (Clint Ingersoll, Chris Stapleton)
- “Redneck Sh*ttt” (Ernest Keith Smith, Mark Holman, Nicolle Galyon)
- “Small Town Goes” (Ernest Keith Smith, Grady Block, Cody Lohden, Ryan Vojtesak, Chandler Paul Walters)
- “Kiss Of Death” (Ernest Keith Smith, Andy Albert, Ryan Vojtesak)
- “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room” (John Clayton Mayer)
- “Ain’t Too Late” (Ernest Keith Smith, Grady Block, Chandler Paul Walters, Jordan Merrigan, Cody Lohden)
- “Sayin’ You Love Me” (Ernest Keith Smith, Mark Holman, James McNair)
- “Summertime Flies” (Ernest Keith Smith, Rafe Tenpenny, Grady Block, Jacob Durrett, Ross Portaro)
- “Ain’t Right Ain’t Wrong” (Ernest Keith Smith, Rhys Rutherford, Ryan Vojtesak)
- “Creep (feat. HARDY)” (Colin Greenwood, Jonathan Greenwood, Albert Hammond, Michael Hazlewood, Edward O’Brien, Philip Selway, Thomas Yorke)
- “Bars On My Heart” (Ernest Keith Smith, Mark Holman, Nicolle Galyon)
- “Dollar To Cash” (Ernest Keith Smith, Grady Block, Rafe Tenpenny, Brett Tyler)
All songs produced by Joey Moi
Announced His New Album Via A Mayoral Press Conference
ERNEST first announced his new album via a creative mayoral press conference, where he unveiled the details of the project. The clip featured ERNEST standing at a podium that resembled one that would appear during a political campaign, complete with an American flag and the flag of Tennessee filling the background.
“My fellow Nashvillians. I’m addressing our community, not because I want to, but because I have to,” he began in the clip. “Over the years, there have been many changes to my hometown in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s important to ask ourselves, how’d we get here? We’ve had movements such as Western Swing, Outlaw, Red Dirt [and] even the likes of bro Country… heroes such as Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, George Strait, George Jones paved the way for artists like myself. We owe it to them to continue what they started.”
He continued, “As our community continues to grow, we shall always remember our founding fathers and welcome our new brothers and sisters into our circle. Whether you went to college or jail, you’re just looking for a honky-tonk fairytale, or barely hanging on… all country music fans are welcome in order to keep growing the genre that made me, we must legalize country music, but we need someone with the authority to do so. That’s why I’m standing here today proudly announcing that I am running for mayor of Nashville, Tennessee. As I begin my campaign, my first actions will be releasing my new album on April 12th, and it’s called Nashville, Tennessee.”
The album is available now for pre-order.
