When I interviewed Cody Jinks last year, I became aware of his good friend, Ward Davis, who often toured with Jinks. Ward Davis is most known for writing Willie and Merle’s song “Unfair Weather Friend,” which was later performed at Merle’s funeral.
I initially thought Davis was a songwriter-turned-performer, but that was not the case. Davis hails from Arkansas and started taking piano at age seven. But his hero was George Strait, and that’s who he wanted to be like. He was musical and creative, writing songs, but he really didn’t know much about songwriting.
When he came to Nashville, it wasn’t to be a songwriter, but to be a performer. However, he had written a song, and a guy named Tom Collins gave him a publishing deal in 2002.
He recalled, “To my knowledge, it’s the shortest publishing deal in Music Row history. He dropped me after six months. I asked why, and he said what I already knew. ‘You don’t know what you’re doing.'”
In 2009, Ward, along with friends Rick Huckaby and Matt Nolen, formed the alt-country band, The Beagles, in Nashville. Since then, they wrote and recorded two studio albums – “Meet the Beagles” in 2010 & “Mucho Dos Grande” in 2012. They were featured on the A&E original series “Crazy Hearts Nashville” in 2014.
Davis teamed up with Marla Cannon-Goodman, the daughter of renowned producer Buddy Cannon, to write a song for Willie’s duet album with all-female artists, All the Girls I Loved Before. They wrote “Unfair Weather Friend.” Buddy was working with Kenny Chesney, and he put it on hold to record later. Kenny never recorded it, and Willie finished this record without it.
In 2015, Davis released his debut album, 15 Years in a 10 Year Town, which featured collaborations with Nelson and Jamey Johnson on “Old Wore Out Cowboys,” and included “Unfair Weather Friend.” Four years went by, and they learned that Willie and Merle were making a record. They sent “Unfair Weather Friend” to them, and they loved it. It was included on their #1 Billboard album Django and Jimmie.
Davis advised, “I think God kept that song put away for us. And it essentially became and will be the song that I’m proudest of and the feather in my cap that I’d always wanted to have.”
After the “Unfair Weather Friend” was recorded, Davis decided he was “done” with Nashville and moved back home. He played anywhere that would have him, including bowling alleys and dive bars. In early 2016, a booking agent in Texas landed him a gig opening for Cody Jinks in San Antonio.
“Cody liked what I brought. He liked me and started putting me on more shows, and then we started writing together,” he stated.
The first song they wrote was “I’m Not The Devil,” which would become the title track for Jinks’ next record. The song went on to become a gold record.
This weekend, Davis is releasing his Here I Am record, which I initially thought might be a breakup album, but it was not planned that way. Some of the songs are more than 15 years old, while others are quite new.
He explained, “I don’t write records. I write songs. As a songwriter, I stand back and look at my catalog. Some songs get recorded or put on hold. These are songs that stood out to me. It would be silly to put them in a folder and leave them just because they are 18 years old.”
But the truth is, Here I Am does have a lot of breakup songs because Davis has been divorced twice, and one of those divorces was more recent. “I write my best when I’m hurting,” he confessed.
However, Davis did not write the title track. Written by Ronnie Bowman, “Here I Am” was the first song he heard after quitting drinking five years ago. “That song slapped me and spoke to me in a way that I needed to be spoken to at that moment. I’ve loved that song ever since, and I wanted it to be the theme of the record.”
The album begins with “Downright Awful Stupid Beautiful Lie.” With the lyrics I could fall back in with the devil/ and I won’t go down in flames, give into what feels right tonight/ that will set right everything/ go back to who I used to be/ who don’t love that guy/ what a downright awful, stupid beautiful lie he refers to drinking in the first verse and his ex in the second. Though they both beckon, and they are both no good for him.
One of the saddest songs I’ve heard in a while is “Find You In A Crowd.” Although the relationship has ended, you still can’t help but look for your person in the crowd when you are performing on stage.
The redemptive song, “Found,” is southern rock at its finest. He asks, “How far can a road keep going? How deep can a hole go down? How lost is a sinner like me gonna’ have to be before he gets found?” He filed for divorce the day he wrote that song.
“Hurt You” is the most brutally honest post-breakup song I have ever heard. After being cheated on, he states, “I’m gonna’ hurt you and hurt you some more.” It’s a tell-all of a failed relationship. While many have felt this way, very few have the nerve to put it in a song.
The song “I Need to Be Still” is a warning to himself and others to think before you cheat. “Hindsight is a real bitch,” he stated.
Julianna Rankin joins Davis on the duet “Nothing On You.” It’s about being on a date, seeing your ex, and you both know the new girl has nothing on you. Rankin’s warm Texas drawl paired with Ward’s weathered baritone brings the narrative to life in a way that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new.
“Somewhere Lonely” addresses the lost feeling you have after a breakup. Both physically and mentally, you have nowhere to go.
Davis included a cover of “Stray Dogs and Alley Cats” on his album simply because he related to the song. While he said the songwriter Harvey Allen treated him worse than “gum on his shoe” when he was a waiter at Applebee’s early on, he still respected the songwriter and felt compelled to include the song. It’s the most light-hearted tune on the Here I Am album, and is a traditional country song as well. I admire Davis for adding it to the mix.
The album concludes with the honest, “Wouldn’t Want To Be Me Right Now.” Newbies who come to Nashville might yearn for the level of achievement that Davis has accomplished, but as the song reminds, success often comes at a price.
Real country music drips from Davis’s pen when he writes. He has lived the songs he’s written. “These are songs from my life, not just songs for this record,” he confirmed.
Davis’s music—characterized by raw honesty, traditional country roots, his signature soulful grit, and fearless songwriting—has earned him a dedicated following and praise as one of country’s most compelling voices. His voice has that honest, lived-in quality you only get from someone who’s spent years telling stories that truly mean something.
To promote Here I Am, Ward Davis is currently touring across Texas and the Midwest, including a stop in Nashville on March 13th, where he will make his Opry Debut.
You can follow Ward Davis on his website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and TikTok.
In celebration of the upcoming album, Davis has launched the Here I Am contest, offering fans a chance to win one of three exclusive prize bundles featuring Here I Am on vinyl, a Yamaha F335 acoustic guitar, a handwritten and signed lyric sheet, exclusive Ward Davis rooster pins, and limited-edition merchandise. Fans can enter now at https://shop.mnrk.com/pages/ward-davis-giveaway.
Here I Am Track List
- Downright Awful Stupid Beautiful Lie
- Find You In The Crowd
- Found
- Here I Am
- Hurt You
- I Need to Be Still
- To Tear Myself Apart
- Nothing On You
- Somewhere Lonely
- Stray Dogs and Alley Cats
- Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me Right Now
Bethany Writes 
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