Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man
Encyclopedia
"Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man" is the title of a song written by Trey Bruce
and Glen Burtnik
. First recorded by Mark Collie
on his 1995 album Tennessee Plates, it was later recorded by Randy Travis
. Released in October 1998 as the third single from his 1998 CD, You and You Alone
, it peaked at #2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) chart.
. Its lyrics tell the story of decisions a boy must make in his life and whether he should follow his whims ("spirit of a boy") or act with integrity and good faith ("wisdom of a man") when his high school sweetheart tells him that she is pregnant, and when he is faced with the temptations of life on the road after being married with a child at home.
's sneak peek video on October 7, 1998. It was filmed at the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
office.
Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of October 10, 1998.
Trey Bruce
Trey Bruce is an American country music songwriter. Bruce has co-written three songs that became Number One singles on the Billboard country charts: "Look Heart, No Hands", "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man" and "Whisper My Name" by Randy Travis, and "How Your Love Makes Me Feel" by Diamond Rio...
and Glen Burtnik
Glen Burtnik
Glen Burtnik is a singer, songwriter, entertainer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a former member of Styx.The spelling of his name has changed a few times over the years .Burtnik appeared in the Broadway production of Beatlemania as Paul McCartney,...
. First recorded by Mark Collie
Mark Collie
George Mark Collie is an American country music artist and occasional actor. He has released eight albums, and has charted 16 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His highest peaking singles are "Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'" at #5, and "Born to Love You" at #6, from 1992 and...
on his 1995 album Tennessee Plates, it was later recorded by Randy Travis
Randy Travis
Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...
. Released in October 1998 as the third single from his 1998 CD, You and You Alone
You and You Alone
You and You Alone is the tenth studio album by American country music artist Randy Travis. His first album for DreamWorks Records Nashville, it produced four singles on the Billboard country music charts between 1998 and 1999: "Out of My Bones", "The Hole", "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man", and...
, it peaked at #2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) chart.
Content
The song is a mid-tempo backed primarily by acoustic guitarAcoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
. Its lyrics tell the story of decisions a boy must make in his life and whether he should follow his whims ("spirit of a boy") or act with integrity and good faith ("wisdom of a man") when his high school sweetheart tells him that she is pregnant, and when he is faced with the temptations of life on the road after being married with a child at home.
Music video
The music video debuted as CMTCMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
's sneak peek video on October 7, 1998. It was filmed at the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
The Los Angeles Herald Examiner was a major Los Angeles daily newspaper, published Monday through Friday in the afternoon, and in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays. It was part of the Hearst syndicate. The afternoon Herald-Express and the morning Examiner, both of which had been publishing in...
office.
Chart performance
"Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man" debuted at #53 on the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of October 10, 1998.
| Chart (1998–1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot Country Singles & Tracks |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 |
42 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 7 |