Jamey Johnson is nominated for two Grammy Awards this year in the Best Country Song and Best Country Male Vocal categories for "High Cost Of Living" from his That Lonesome Song album. Jamey tells GAC that the tune was crucial to the project. He explains, "That song was the first on the album for a number of reasons. One is it was the first thing we recorded. But I wanted the people who plug this thing in – it's probably the most hardcore song on the album in terms of content – but I wanted you to know this album wasn't put together 'cause we thought we could get it on the radio, and it wasn't put together because we thought it was super-commercial." Johnson adds, "There's a lot of things that this album covers that aren't necessarily popular topics, 'cause nobody wants to deal with 'em. But they're there, you know?" 

"High Cost Of Living" isn't a warm and fuzzy song; it deals with some very harsh realities that people deal with at times, and Jamey says that those people need to be reached through music. He shares, "Music can't be Prozac. You can't just sing somebody into bein' in a good mood on the way to work. It ain't gonna happen. I'm not sayin' a guy that's in a good mood don't deserve his song, too. But what about the couple that's goin' through hell, and nobody knows that they have to put on a front when they're out in public and smile and look like everything's cool, and then they get home and throw dishes at each other 'til they go to sleep? What about those guys? They need to be fed, too." Johnson continues, "Just to know that they're not alone sometimes just makes 'em a little more calm about it. You just lay back a little bit – 'I'm not crazy. Somebody else is doin' it, too.'"

The video is stellar.  Jamey's album is amazing.  The guy is the real deal. ~Vanessa