I Always Wanted To by Caitlin Quisenberry – Song of the Day

Journey through the mind of a 95-year-old man, as Caitlin Quisenberry delivers his wise words of resilience, loss and regret in I Always Wanted To. It’s our Song of the Day!

Written by Allen Shamblin, Tom Douglas and Jordyn Shellhart, the song was originally recorded by American singer, Cody Johnson for his October 2021 release, Human: The Double Album.

Johnson told Taste of Country Nights. “It was a really hard one to sing. At the time, I’d just lost my grandfather, and my grandmother was going through a lot. When I went in the studio, I really let the tears flow and I really channelled what it would feel like to be a 90-year-old man. It was hard, but at the end of the day, it’ll help somebody.”

In this new cover version, GRAMMY-nominated producer, Sal Oliveri, composed dynamic instrumentation that masterfully mirrors Caitlin’s emotive vocal style.

Caitlin says, “I’ve been aching to record this song for over a year now. When it was pitched to me, I immediately fell in love with it, but it was quickly snatched up by another artist – Cody Johnson. When I heard him sing it, coupled with the fact that he is one of my favourite artists, my desire to cover his song was put into motion. The lyrics are both sad and inspirational. They remind me of my aging grandparents and all they’ve gone through; but at the same time, the words have also inspired me to do the things ‘I always wanted to’ do. It’s not often when a song is so powerful it changes the trajectory of your life, and that’s what this song has done for me.”

No stranger to the stage, Caitlin first started singing at age three. When she was 14, she recorded an EP with multi-GRAMMY-winning producer Robert Cutarella and the following year found herself on American Idol, where she earned a Golden Ticket and was pushed through to Hollywood.

While in college, Caitlin took her talents to the next level, studying in Switzerland with renowned opera singer Karine Mkrtchyan. The Colorado native, who now calls Nashville home, has teamed up with producers Ben Simonetti, Sal Oliveri and Jason Wyatt to create music that speaks to everyday life and interpersonal relationships that are easily relatable.

In 2020, her debut single Blue, premiered on CMT and she was named “Nashville’s Newest Darling” by Hype Magazine. Singles What If and Take Only What You Need followed. She has since received placements in American Songwriter, New Music Nashville, Country Note, ThinkTankNashville, Westword, and Medium.com.

To keep up to date with Caitlin Quisenberry, follow her on Facebook here.