Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Dave Fenley’s “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” Will Definitely Touch Your Soul

Dave Fenley's Moving Version of “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)”
Riley Johnson
by
  • Riley Johnson covers country music’s legends, tributes, and the stories behind the songs for Country Thang Daily.
  • Her beat includes the Grand Ole Opry, Hall of Fame moments, gospel and faith in country music, and the artists who built the genre.
  • When a legend is honored, remembered, or back in the spotlight, Riley is usually the one writing it.
Get Country Thang Daily first on GoogleGet CTD first on GoogleAdd us as a preferred source in Top StoriesAdd us as a preferred sourceAdd

Dave Fenley’s “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” is just all we need right now that the “world has gone a little bit crαzy.”

Originally released by the country music duo – The Judds – in 1986, the nostalgic country ballad sings about the downfall and neglect of traditional values, today’s frantic lifestyle, and how progress does not always come with a positive result.

The narrator expressed sorrowful uncertainty and disgruntlement of how she could no longer experience in her lifetime the past occurrences of traditional values – such as promises being kept rather than the absence of personal integrity or how what’s right were once well-defined and followed rather than what’s wrong.

RELATED: Dave Fenley Performs a Heart-melting “Stuck On You” Rendition

Thirty-five years later, the song’s theme is still absolutely as poignant as ever, making us consider what really matters and who we really are as individuals.

Written by Nashville singer-songwriter Jamie O’Hara, Fenley remembered The Judd’s “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” being huge when he was only a kid. 

It reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and on Canadian RPM Country Tracks after it was released as the second single from The Judd’s album Rockin’ with the Rhythm. The song also helped the country duo take home the Grammy Awards in the Country Duo/ Vocal Group category, while O’Hara won the Grammy Awards for Country Songwriting Category.

Fenley first learned the song from his father, who would sing it along and teach him the harmony part. The Voice’s former contestant couldn’t be prouder that he got to be in this video after all these years.

He is filmed singing on a gorgeous front porch, reminiscing about his own family. The short clip is such a moving reminder that great times are not too far gone. Undeniably, Fenley is right when he said that the “song’s message is even more powerful now.”

You can listen to “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” by Dave Fenley in the video below.

Dave Fenley’s “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days)” Will Definitely Touch Your Soul

Know someone who loves The Judds?

Pass this story along to your friends and family on Facebook.

Share on Facebook

Latest Stories

Kid Rock Felt Called to Record His First Christian Album and He Went All In on Jesus

The song came to him in the middle of the night. Everything else followed from there. Kid Rock announced Halfway 2 Jesus, the first Christian album of his career, arriving ...

Kid Rock and Eminem Chose Friendship Over Politics and Reunited on His Christian Album

Kid Rock dropped the tracklist for his first Christian album on Thursday, October 1, and one name on it stopped people cold. Track three is called “7 Sins,” and it ...

Dolly Parton Day Is Here With Book Drives, Sparkle, and a Lot of Giving Across the Country

Somewhere in Ohio, a small charity asked people for 925 donations of $9.25 each. They blew past it and funded free books for 1,110 kids. That is what September 25 ...

Dolly Parton’s Nephew Who Announced Her Death Was Reportedly Fired From Guarding Her Properties

Three weeks after Bryan Seaver stood in front of a camera to tell the world his aunt had died, he was reportedly told to hand over the keys. Seaver, the ...

The CMA Will Honor Dolly Parton With a Two-Hour Live Special on October 21

Dolly Parton wrote the most famous goodbye song in American music. Now, country music is using it to say goodbye to her. The Country Music Association announced it will honor ...

Reba Wore Dolly Parton’s Rhinestone Earrings and Butterfly Ring During Her Emmys Tribute

The first time Reba McEntire ever saw Dolly Parton in person, Dolly was covered in rhinestone butterflies. McEntire has told the story more than once. She was backing up against ...

Sally Field Called Dolly Parton an Angel on Earth in Her Emmys Tribute Speech

Sally Field worked with Dolly Parton on one movie in 1989. She spent the next thirty-seven years loving her anyway. Field introduced the Dolly Parton tribute at the 78th Primetime ...

Reba McEntire Sang “Appalachian Memories” for Dolly at the Emmys and Got Emotional at the End

Forty-three years ago, Dolly Parton stood on the Emmy stage and sang a song she wrote about her daddy and the mountains that raised her. On Monday night, her friend ...

A Massive Dolly Parton Mural Went Up on a Fort Worth Honky-Tonk and People Keep Pulling Over

His daughter took the news hard, so he went and found a wall. Juan Velazquez saw how Dolly Parton’s death hit his daughter and decided he wanted to honor her. ...

Jennifer Nettles Honored the 9/11 Victims With Vince Gill’s Go Rest High on That Mountain

Vince Gill wrote that song for his own dead. On Friday, Jennifer Nettles sang it for nearly three thousand of them. Nettles performed “Go Rest High on That Mountain” at ...