If You Have Ray A Special Bond With Your Dad Thanks To College Football, Ray Fulcher’s “Love Ya Son, Go Dawgs” Is For You

When it comes to football season, you either cry tears of joy or tears of total sadness — there’s really no in between.

Sometimes you’re crying tears of joy, but it feels like more often than not, they’re tears of sadness when a game doesn’t go your team’s way. But there’s always some good music to have during game day, and when it comes to country music, football songs are sort of a specialty.

From more recently hits like Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange” and even Morgan Wallen’s “Had Me By Halftime,” to older songs like Kenny Chesney’s “The Boys of Fall” and Hank William’s Jr.’s iconic “Are You Ready for Some Football?”, there are some great tunes that always put me in the mood for football.

Luke Combs has become the unofficial king of college football anthems for TV coverage, and one of his frequent collaborators and writer of many of his hits like “Lovin’ On You,” “When It Rains It Pours,” and “Does To Me” (featuring Eric Church), just to name a few, Ray Fulcher, has one that isn’t quite so upbeat, rowdy and fun like many others are… it might even make you cry.

“Love Ya Son, Go Dawgs” was written by Jordan Walker and Ben Hayslip and released in 2022, and finds Fulcher receiving a call from his dad, who us just calling to catch up and give him a few updates on what’s been going on back home:

“Hey buddy, it’s me
I thought I’d give you a call
It looks like you been busy
I been keepin’ up with y’all
I saw a couple of your high school buddies at a fish fry
Sat around and talked about the old days the whole night
Nah, there ain’t much goin’ on
It’s been pretty quiet back home”

He proceeds to tell him about the weather, how he sold the old truck that had been sitting out in the yard for years, and informing him that the preacher had left their church for a bigger one in Savannah:

“The weather’s been good but it could rain a little more
I finally got tired of it sittin’ out back and sold that Ford
The preacher left us for a bigger church over in Savannah
I think me and Uncle Joe gonna try to make the show in Atlanta”

But the part that will really get you if you grew up with a football-loving family or dad it he end, when he brings up how good the Dawgs are playing this season

“That coach up in Athens got them boys playin’ pretty good ball
Anyway, I love you son, go Dawgs”

I couldn’t even tell you how many similar conversations I’ve had with my own dad that go almost exactly like that, and maybe it’s because he had me in football jerseys for the Carolina Panthers (thanks a lot, dad) and Appalachian State Mountaineers since I was in diapers, but it’s still something we bond over to this day and keeps us connected in so many ways as I’ve gotten older. We call each other of course to talk about the general happenings of life, but this time of year, those phone calls turn into mostly conversations about our teams, other people’s teams, and what’s going on with the NFL and college slate in general.

I think that concept clearly something so many people can relate to in America, whether you’re a girl or a guy, and as crazy as it probably sounds to someone who doesn’t love football, it really does bring people together and even ties generations together.

The NFL kicks off tonight, with another week of college football ahead this weekend, and I couldn’t be more thrilled (ask me if I still feel the same way come mid-season)… there’s just something special in the air when football starts back again, and it’s something I look forward to all year long. But if this song somehow comes up on my playlist when I’m not expecting it and just happen to be in the right mood, I honestly might shed a tear or two.

I can be dramatic about many, many things, and football is easily at the top of that list. If you have as many special football-related memories with your dad as I do, then you will absolutely love this song and don’t say I didn’t warn you if you get a little choked up…

“Love Ya Son, Go Dawgs”

The post If You Have Ray A Special Bond With Your Dad Thanks To College Football, Ray Fulcher’s “Love Ya Son, Go Dawgs” Is For You first appeared on Whiskey Riff.