Jelly Roll talks SummerSlam prep and weight loss journey | What’s Your Story? With Steph McMahon

Jelly Roll talks SummerSlam prep and weight loss journey | What’s Your Story? With Steph McMahon

But I walk back like, they’re not in
the middle of producing the show. And I’m like, everybody,
stop what you’re doing. I was like, paul, if I lose another
hundred pounds, can I do one of these? He was like, yeah, man. I was like, for real? He was like, we’ll figure it out, dude. We love you. >> Speaker 2: My youngest is a singer. >> Speaker 1: God.
I want to hear. >> Speaker 2: And so I want you to hear. But she is recording something right now. >> Speaker 1: Where? At our house. >> Speaker 1: Great.
So she’s doing her vocal warm up right now? >> Speaker 2: Yeah,
she’s doing her warmup. I thought that that’s what it. >> Speaker 1: And your youngest is. We said 16. >> Speaker 2: No,
she’s gonna be 15 in a couple weeks. And my middle. They’re all birthdays are together. >> Speaker 1: So
is she the first one with the music bug? >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: This is so exciting. >> Speaker 2: We don’t know where she
got it because she can really sing. >> Speaker 1: That was me. >> Speaker 2: That was me. >> Speaker 1: Well, I can’t really sing. That’s a different thing. I can’t really sing, but I. You really can sing, but
I didn’t have no music. Our whole family still to this day
is like, where did that come from? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
Well, that’s how I feel about her. >> Speaker 1: When did
y’ all first notice? >> Speaker 2: I believe I can sing and
I can’t. Like, I’m loud and proud,
but it’s not great. >> Speaker 1: So
you sing around the house? >> Speaker 2: I sing around the house. >> Speaker 1: That’s where she got her. That’s where she got it from. >> Speaker 2: She always tells me. She always says, mama, I love your voice. But she’s the only one to ever say that. So we.
We understand. >> Speaker 1: But, yeah, anytime somebody says they love your voice
and they don’t say you’re a good singer, that’s their way of saying you’re not a
good singer, but you’ve got a cool voice. You know what? I’m.
That’s what I hear the most. I don’t hear jelly. You’re a good singer. I hear you.
I really do like your voice, though. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
I think you’re also a good singer. >> Speaker 1: So when did she first
hum that made you realize it? Like, what was it? >> Speaker 2: She just sings all the time. >> Speaker 1: But, like, what. Do you remember the age was she so
naturally, like three or four, that early? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
Frozen came out, and then it was just. Frozen all the time. >> Speaker 1: Yes. >> Speaker 2: She just would sing at
the top of her lungs all the time, and it was good. Like, even at 3, she could just sing. And she has this range and, you know, she. She. She’s never really done anything right
because I know she could be successful. And she has the personality. I mean, she walks out there and
she owns it. I mean, she just has it all. >> Speaker 1: So what’s she doing? Is she writing? >> Speaker 2: She’s writing and she. She’s preparing, so
she writes all the time. >> Speaker 1: We should talk more. If I’d have known this,
you should have brought her. I got the studio at the house
next to my house here. Now I’m writing every day. >> Speaker 2: She just had surgery. Yeah.
No, all good. >> Speaker 1: What happened? >> Speaker 2: She had her
nose when she was a kid. It got broken, and
she had a deviated septum that was completely blocking one
side of her nostril. And as she’s continuing to grow,
because she is still continuing to grow, it’s like,
started to dip into the other side. And so while they were in there, they. You know, they did some stuff,
and we’re letting it heal. And she looks gorgeous. And she can breathe,
which is amazing to listen to her breathe. But I asked her,
does it change how you sing? And she said, no, it doesn’t. Because she had learned how to sing
sort of above her nose anyway. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
Well, I was gonna say if she was
coming through her nose. She wasn’t.
She was. We wouldn’t have to figure that out. Anyway. You can be a nasal singer. I’m not saying, you know,
I know some nasals. Like some of the greatest singers. Dylan, Tracy Lawrence,
were straight nasal singers. But traditionally, we’re trained to try
to avoid the nose as much as possible. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
And she just had to. Because she couldn’t use it, so. >> Speaker 1: So
she just flips right into that falsetto. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: I can’t wait to hear it. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, me too. >> Speaker 1: I’m more excited
about her writing, though. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Because, like,
here’s my advice to young entertainers. I don’t think I’ve ever
really talked about this, but Because I did it the other way. I mean, I. I didn’t learn. I would. If you don’t want to learn an instrument,
that’s fine. But learn, respect the art. Because sometimes you just get so. I know sometimes naturally good singers
are just so naturally good at singing that they don’t really actually care to,
like, fall in love with the music. They just want to sing the stuff that
they sound good singing because they like the way they sound singing, where. When you have to start writing,
you start finding out who you are and what you’re convicted about and what you
think’s cool and what your narrative is. And how you see the world and
your perspective starts coming out, you know about things,
whether you know it or not. You could.
Because we’re all, like, imitating at first, right? That’s your goal. Like, you imitate an artist
until you can innovate yourself. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: So interesting. >> Speaker 1: But so
she’s in there writing songs, probably just trying to write Tate McCray
songs or whatever, you know, Grace. Whatever song she’s listening to. But by default,
she’s gonna find herself in there and what she sings with more conviction. And then her voice will just be a tool. It’ll be like I got a really fire voice,
but I got. I got.
I know who I am, right? Because I know so many good singers that
don’t know who they are because they never had to find theirselves
in a writer’s room. You know what I mean? Like, they never had to. And I bet you can relate that. That’s why I wanted to talk to you so bad. I think there are so
many parallels to the businesses. >> Speaker 2: Yes, there are. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean?
Like, I think it’s the same thing
with finding your gimmick. You know what I mean? Like, I’ve seen some dudes already at nxt. I’ve been here, like, three weeks, and
in this building, I say this with respect. There are some dudes that are incredible
wrestlers, like, technical, like, get that in such a way, but
they don’t know who they are in the ring. >> Speaker 2: Do you think they
know who they are in life? >> Speaker 1: Ooh, now we’re getting dang. >> Speaker 2: Because I think
there’s parallels there. >> Speaker 1: Ooh, goodness gracious. Stop it now.
I didn’t know we’re gonna do therapy in the first 10, 15 minutes. I thought we’d get to the back
half when we started getting real. Steph.
>> Speaker 2: Happens. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. No, it’s real, though. You’re right.
It’s probably a finding yourself outside of it thing, right? >> Speaker 2: Yeah,
I think it’s a journey. And the whole time. >> Speaker 1: Is that what you found in
this business is that the people that are the most comfortable in who they are
not as a performer, find themselves easy. >> Speaker 2: Interesting,
because I think I shouldn’t say most. I don’t want to just put
anybody in a bucket. But some of the most successful
performers play the role and don’t like who they are as a real person
and don’t necessarily want to live there. They want to live the gimmick,
so to speak. And then there are quite a few, I think,
who, especially when it’s your own name, I think that that’s
a little more challenging. I mean, I guess that’s me too, right? I played a character with my own name. I do think you are a better performer
the more you know yourself. And when you have the opportunity to learn
with live feedback from the audience every week for 20 plus years, I mean, it is
an iteration that you create together, you know, and you do journey through
life like it’s so much more, even for fans who come, as we were talking before,
who come here to nxt, and they’re a part of the very beginning
of somebody’s journey for me. I’ve been sitting in the stands with our
fans since I was a kid, you know, and I have a connection. Well, I believe, anyway, that I have
a connection to our fans since I can remember, really, you know,
because I am a fan. So I started off sitting in the stands,
and that’s where I am now. And I feel like the most at home
in an arena full of WWE fans, because these are my people,
you know, I love my people. And it’s just. It’s so fascinating that. That live event connection, you know, and
it’s funny because I see you listening so intently and
you’re such a student of psychology, and I’ve listened to so
many of your podcasts and different perspectives, and
I love the questions that you ask back. And I’m curious. So many things I want to talk about,
too, but. So I’ll go to one. You and Joe Rogan were talking a lot
about storytelling, and you know, how the origination of storytelling and
why storytelling is so important, and it’s one of the pieces that I
thought would be additional to that conversation is why it resonates. So, yes, back to caveman days, right? You see drawings,
depictions of stories, storytelling. But why is storytelling the most
effective tool of communication? Why does it resonate? Why do you remember it so
much differently, whether it’s a song or a short story? Or a match in the ring. And that’s because if it makes you feel
something, and this is what I believe, if it connects with you in such a way that
it makes you angry, it makes you sad, it makes you happy, it makes you
feel love or hope, whatever that is, it’s making you feel something,
and that’s why it resonates. And Maya Angelou has a beautiful quote,
and I always quote it, but people will never
remember what you said. They’ll never remember what you did, but they will always remember
how you made them feel. And you make people feel. Your lyrics, the way you sing them,
it’s not just the words, it’s how you sing them. To your point, I think about these young
artists, because if you feel it when you’re singing it, you’ve said even that
you’ve written songs for other people, because if they don’t relate to you, you don’t think you’ll be able to
deliver them the way that you want to. And I think that’s true of. Of anything. If you’re really going
to connect with people, you have to connect with them emotionally. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, it’s. It’s the biggest parallel,
I think, in the businesses. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always loved
wrestlers, and I love comedians and musicians. And I’m biased, but I think that we
are the three best storytellers. Like, you know, I mean,
obviously directors and filmmakers and all that stuff. But, like,
if you’re sitting in a campfire. >> Speaker 1: Right.
>> Speaker 2: I know some really good directors that don’t have cool stories. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I’m saying? You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: But it’s like professional
wrestlers around the campfire. >> Speaker 2: You throw
a couple of comedians. You know what I mean? You get it. You know what I’m saying? You get a couple of campfires. Yeah. You get a couple of musicians around. Same thing. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: I’ll say this about
storytelling, and I’ll get deep for a second. And I don’t. I’m not. I’m unashamed about my faith. I talk about it a lot. But you gave me a layup here. Jesus taught him parables. And I was always fascinated
with that as a young man about, like, the idea that even in that
time that Jesus understood that if he got everybody around and
he would either. He would either get them around
to show them something or he would tell them something, and it would
either be a teaching, but it was always, almost always in the form of a parable. >> Speaker 1: Yep.
>> Speaker 2: And I just thought that was so, so cool. And Then, like,
my favorite early music was storytelling. Like, I talk about Coward
of the county all the time. I reference that song because
we all know the Gambler, But Coward of the county is actually cool. They just sounded so much alike, you know,
One was a bigger record, but it’s like, the idea of. I remember listening,
and he’s talking about, promise my son not to do
the things I’ve done. You walk away from trouble if you can. And I’m like, this is crazy. And I’m like, where is this going? You know, an old yeller. Old Yeller’s leaving. And then at the end, he turns. You could have heard a pin drop when
he stopped and locked the door. And all of a sudden,
he kicks everybody’s ass in this bar. And it’s like, the first time. Dude, I remember the first time
we heard this as a family. We cheered. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Like, we were watching wrestling,
like, listening to the song. You could have heard a pin drop when
he stopped and locked the door. Hell, yeah. And then we’d have to shush each
other again, you know what I mean? So we’d hear the next part. But we were that emoted in
the moment of the song. I remember having a kitchen of, like,
18 of us crying, listening to Fire and Rain together, like, we’re all balling. You know what I mean? Like, I just remember it was the story,
songs that really. It was the music that
made me feel something. Like what you said. There is the quote I say is,
some music’s meant to be heard. Some music’s meant to be felt. I make the music you feel. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: And I know because of that, I’m not for everybody. Some people want to go to a party and
hear right? And that’s cool. They don’t.
They’re not here. It’s a different feeling
they’re looking for. What.
What God gift he gave me, that’s what I get. What God gave me is I
write from a place of. A place of pain,
because it’s an international language. And you.
If you don’t. I’m learning this as we’re
going international. You might not even know the words as
much as you just hear the conviction in my voice. You know what I mean? And you feel that. You know what I mean? They’re transcribing the lyrics later and
then getting into it, you know, really like, this dude’s speaking to us. But I’ve always came back to, like, it was
storytelling, even while doing podcasts. Joe Rogan, God Bless him, man. >> Speaker 1: He’s awesome. >> Speaker 2: He is the dude. >> Speaker 1: He is. I love him. He’s awesome, dude. And he’s like that as soon
as the microphone turns off. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Before it turns on. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Joe is Joe, dude. But, like, all them. Me being lucky that all my comedian
friends gave me an opportunity to come share my story at the beginning of it,
like, in my genre. That was brave. >> Speaker 1: So
how did you meet these guys? Because I heard you talking about it and
how I think during COVID you were all hanging out, and then you
all kind of made it big at the same time. >> Speaker 2: It was crazy, man. >> Speaker 1: But how.
How did that happen? >> Speaker 2: It was like. Well, I was just. I’m a comedy fan. Like, I’m a wrestling fan
the same way I met y’. All.
It’s like, I believe that’s why I love Fanatics Fest. Right?
Is that I. I don’t. I never want to be too cool
to be a fan of something. Know what I mean?
Like, I hate those people that are too
cool to just submit and be a fan. You know what I mean?
>> Speaker 1: Like, yeah, you have to criticize all the time. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
Like, just be a fan. >> Speaker 1: Just enjoy it. >> Speaker 2: Like, just enjoy the art. Or don’t. Or don’t.
But, like, at least, like, you don’t have to be so
cool that you don’t think anything’s cool. >> Speaker 1: Right.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Like, I wanted, like, the stuff I
think’s cool, I want to be a part of. So we were hanging out. I was still heavy drinking in the 2000
teens and going into 2000s, and. And we were hanging out
at the comedy club a lot. So we were just like,
I’m a super regular at Zany’s. Love you, Dorfman. That’s the owner of Zany’s, my buddy. And we were just living there pretty much. We were a piece of furniture. And Josh Wolf was doing a weekly show,
and I’d go sing with him, and then everybody that would come in. So we just hang out with
the comics all the time. They all knew us. We were all hustling. And then Schultz and me really hit it off. And of course, you fast forward now, and Schultz is doing two nights at every
arena in America, and so am I. And it’s been like the wildest journey,
you know, When I met Hinchcliff Kill, Tony’s teetering. Like, it’s looking like it’s fixing to
have the moment it ended up having. But it wasn’t sure it was
still just coming to Austin. It was you know, coming out of that bar,
fixing to go into the mothership, it wasn’t. You know, it didn’t look like it could,
but it went. So it’s been this really fun thing of,
like, by accident, I got in right at the ground level
of what went on to be, like, some of the most famous comedians
of what will be this decade. And you’ve met them. They’re some of the sweetest dudes. >> Speaker 1: I’ve met some of them, yes. >> Speaker 2: You met Schultz, right? >> Speaker 1: Yes. Yep.
>> Speaker 2: In Hinchcliffe. >> Speaker 1: Yep.
>> Speaker 2: They’re the. They’re the sweetest, sweetest dudes. >> Speaker 1: Tony did the. The roast after Wrestlemania. >> Speaker 2: He is the goat. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: And you know what? That’s a big deal. He did that for y’. All.
>> Speaker 1: I got mentioned. >> Speaker 2: Yes.
>> Speaker 1: So you said when a comedian mentions
you that, like, you’ve made it, it’s your mark. >> Speaker 2: That’s a mar. >> Speaker 1: I mean,
it was a WWE Roast, so at least I. I was like. He talked about. >> Speaker 2: I will say this. Tony has a rule, man. He only roasts what he loves. >> Speaker 1: That’s really interesting. >> Speaker 2: No, that’s real. Tony will tell you. He only roasts the ones he loves. I mean, unless it’s, like, comedy jabs. But in general, for him, showing up for
y’ all to roast is like. He only does that if he, like. >> Speaker 1: Really respects
show after SummerSlam, too. >> Speaker 2: I think it’s.
I think it’s the night before. >> Speaker 1: Is it
the before Saturday night. >> Speaker 2: It’s Friday night. >> Speaker 1: It’s not the roast. It’s different.
>> Speaker 2: It’s just the show. Yeah, I’m coming.
I’m gonna go hang with him. >> Speaker 1: For sure.
>> Speaker 2: I just talked to him, so we FaceTime him. >> Speaker 1: Sure.
>> Speaker 2: You hand me that phone right there. You just throw it to me. I’m so sorry. He literally just hit me back. I was harassing him about it. Watch this.
I bet I got a missed call from him. No.
I got one from the wife, though. It’s my baby. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: This dude is maybe
once again, you’d never know it. What are you doing? Tony, you handsome son of a bitch. Look, I’m Hanging out with Ms.
Stephanie McMahon. She loves you and wanted to say hi. >> Speaker 1: Hey, Tony. >> Speaker 2: How are you? Hey, Stephanie. Fantastic. >> Speaker 1: You look fantastic. >> Speaker 2: Well,
we’re gonna see you soon. I said we.
Like, I’m a wrestler now, you hear? I just act like one all the time. Sudden I’m like,
we are going to see you soon. >> Speaker 2: You’re part of the family. >> Speaker 1: She said Tony roasted me,
I was so excited. I said, he only roasts what he loves,
though. Just know that if Tony roasted you,
he actually likes you. I was like, that’s truly Tony’s motto. >> Speaker 3: I did a 20
minute set on your- >> Speaker 1: I love you, dude. I miss you, Bubba, I’m gonna see you,
though, is your show Friday or Thursday next week? Do you remember? >> Speaker 3: It’s actually Saturday. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Dope.
>> Speaker 2: After night one, the two night event is,
yeah, Saturday and Sunday. So I’m late Saturday. >> Speaker 1: You staying Sunday or
you leaving, what you doing? >> Speaker 3: Yeah, I’m gonna stay. >> Speaker 1: All right, let’s talk then, I’m gonna try to find
a way to get some cooking. >> Speaker 1: I can’t wait. >> Love you, brother Hope,
say hi Wave at the camera one time for me, if you don’t mind. >> Speaker 2: Next weekend.
>> Yeah, what’s up, everybody? >> Speaker 1: Love you, brother. I’ll see you there, papa. I miss you, Bubba. Love you more. Bye. >> Speaker 2: Bye. >> Speaker 1: I told you,
he only wrote someone he love. >> Speaker 2: It was. It was fun. I’ve never seen anything like that,
actually, with our business, you know, after the show, it was. >> Speaker 1: He’s the best. >> Speaker 2: It was wild. >> Speaker 1: I heard
Paul Heyman has some haters. He did. >> Speaker 2: Paul Heyman
showed up on him. >> So nervous. >> Speaker 1: They said he sounded good. >> Speaker 2: He was. >> Speaker 1: I wasn’t there. I was so mad. I missed it. >> Speaker 2: But
I knew he was going to be awesome. You know, Paul’s so clever. >> Speaker 2: Paul went out of his way
to give me advice, this whole process. >> Speaker 2: And what can you share? What do you feel comfortable sharing? >> Speaker 1: I’m comfortable sharing
anything, I’m still new to this world, my whole life is a shoot, so I’m having to find the balance while
I’m leading into this thing, you know? >> Speaker 2: Right. >> Speaker 1: Cuz I’m just honest. >> But you’re being you anyway. >> Speaker 1: Anyways. >> Yeah.
>> Paul, just little things like inside baseball,
Paul’s promo stuff. I cut my first promo, and I went right
before I went out, I was like, Wiseman, give it to me real when I come back. >> Speaker 2: And what’d he say? >> Speaker 1: And he sat me down. He said, first of all, you’re a natural. He said, I gotta be honest. Like, it’s unbelievable how you did that. He said it was special. He said,
do you really want me to be a nitpicky? I said, paul, I beg you to be a nitpicky. And he’s like, the pop. Don’t step on your own pop with the name. He’s like, when you’re in a conversation,
I know it. It makes sense to be like, yo, nobody
really cares about your podcast, Logan. Right?
He’s like, but in a ring, the pop is, nobody cares about your podcast. The Logan could step on your pop. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Just like.
And right then, I was like, whoa. And he’s like, I get it. You’re a conversationalist. He’s like, that’s why I have. That’s why I’m giving you the game. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: And I was just so honored by that. And the second thing he gave me, I’m gonna keep down because
it’s something I might have. I might be cooking with
later this weekend. >> [LAUGH]
>> Speaker 1: You know what I’m saying, but he’s went out of the way. He broke down some frames on my things,
show me camera stuff. When I stood behind Logan, when Logan was
on top of Randy at the Saturday night’s main event, when I stood behind him,
he was like, you looked right over there. He said, you could see Logan’s hand,
you could see the camera over it. He was like, so knowing that you’ve
seen it over his head, he’s like, if you took one step forward, you’d have
cheated yourself into that whole shot. And it’s just little stuff like that. And I’m pretty good at camera stuff
because, you know, I did Idol. I’ve been blessed to do a lot of tv,
but it’s like, those are the little
things that were like. That’s that nitpicky stuff. He was like, you did great. You addressed the main camera,
the house camera. You say you had everything else down for
the big stuff, he’s like, but it’s-
>> The little stuff. >> The connective moments, the minutiae. These little things, the little,
what do they call it? Connecticut nuances, he said,
that are gonna be the special things. And I took all that to heart. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: So when I see him this week, we’re gonna go frame by frame
of that entire segment. He’s going to stop.
We’re going to stop every frame and he’s going-
>> Speaker 2: He’s the best, he is a Wiseman. >> He cares, and he cares enough,
he spoke to my whole. We’re watching Monday Night Raw last
night, and keep in mind, I got a bunch of people with me that I’m dragging
into the wrestling World right now. And now they’re completely invested,
obviously. >> Speaker 2: Thank you, by the way. Thank you.
>> Speaker 1: And they see Paul. Paul’s on TV last night with Roman. We’re filming this this week. Y’ all know what happened
Monday night at raw. And. And he. Steph starts getting excited,
my physiotherapist, she goes, that was the nicest guy ever. I was like, which one? She was like, the one with the suit. I was like, that’s Paul Hammond. She’s like, he was so nice to us. And to show, like. >> That’s so cool. >> That was so cool,
he didn’t know who they were. They didn’t know who he was. And he just had a kind enough moment with
her that it, like, excited all of them. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: To see him in the ring, and then I was like, well,
you’re finna boo him, watch, he’s a real. In her, I was like, tell you. >> And he wants you to boo him? Yeah. >> Speaker 1: You were talking
about making people feel something, this has been one of the funnest
things I’ve learned in this process. There are kids in here every
day training their ass off, and they’re praying that one day somebody
cares enough about them to boo them. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, dude. >> Speaker 1: For
the non wrestling fans listening to this, I know that blows your mind,
you know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: Cuz I’m a wrestling fan. >> Best feelings to get booed. >> Speaker 1: And
it still blows mine a little bit. You know what I mean? These kids are fighting. >> Speaker 1: So you know what’s funny? I think, though,
it just depends on who you are, because not everybody loves being a heel,
I love being. >> Speaker 1: You’re so good, I watched
your Ronda Rousey match the other night with you, your husband, and Kurt. >> Speaker 2: Yep. >> And I I’ve been watching all y’ all
celebrity matches just to kinda see, I’m trying to figure out
where I’m at in this process. I won’t let nobody down. >> [LAUGH]
>> You know what I’m saying? And what I took away from that match
the most was besides Ronda is just- >> Speaker 2: She’s amazing. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? What an athlete. >> Speaker 2: But was like,
yeah, like two Olympians. >> Speaker 1: Don’t.
Yeah. Don’t take this wrong. I had remembered your
husband’s legendary heel Run. Cuz he had like, he was the heel
face of WrestleMania for a decade. So it’s like I had in that by default. I had forgotten how great
of a heel you were. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? And so when I rewatched the match,
I was like, yeah, no, she was like, I was getting mad at you a little bit. >> Speaker 1: [LAUGH]
>> I was like, that’s just-
>> Doing her job. >> Speaker 1: Petty,
you know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: No.
>> Speaker 1: Okay. Did y’ all just have a girl moment there? Did y’ all just check each other? >> Speaker 2: No, I was saying I
thought this, I had a weird angle, and I thought maybe I was
gonna get her in the face. >> Speaker 1: I worried you just
had a tooth moment where he’s like. >> No, no, no. >> [LAUGH]
>> Yeah. >> Speaker 4: I’d tell her. >> Speaker 2: I’d be less subtle,
but thank you, I appreciate that. Paul obviously put that whole match
together, and it was amazing. I mean, to be in there with,
honestly, two Olympians and arguably one of the greatest of all time. I truly believe in my husband and me. Like, who’s not the athlete here? No, I had to train. >> Speaker 4: So, yeah,
we always talk so much. She forgets, like, what she went through,
which you’re probably. >> Speaker 2: You’re
going through right now. Yeah. >> Speaker 4: Like the bruises
you were talking about on McAfee. She’d come into the office because she’s
still an executive at the time, and she sits down for a meeting, and
I’m like, your elbows are black. Black bruises are so dark. So she’s got ice packs on her elbows
on a call, like, you know, like. And you’re.
You’re eating a certain way because you have to for the ring, and
then you’re also giving presentations. It was just another level that you
always forget, and I like to remind you. >> Speaker 2: Thank you very much,
very much. >> Speaker 4: You are now in but getting back to the whole reason why
we got into this is about being a heel. So when I first. And thank you, and thank you. But when I first started,
you know, I was a baby face, or at least we tried to make me a baby face. And I remember when I realized. And I think my dad realized it, we go
out and the Undertaker had abducted me. We couldn’t say kidnapped. It was abducted. The semantics are important. And I’m in the middle of the ring now, and
I’m supposed to be getting sympathy, and I’m talking about the things he supposedly
did, and they are, like, eating it up, and they want to believe every nasty
possible thing that they could. It was unbelievable. And I remember in that moment looking at
my dad being, like, kind of surprising, and he was eating it up, and
I remember his reaction to. Too. >> Speaker 2: So when I really turned,
you know, and then they came, you know, and it was slut. Like, they used to chant slut at me. People don’t even remember
that because that’s. >> Speaker 1: When it started
in the Triple H story last year. >> Speaker 2: That’s right. That’s right. Yeah. Slut, Slut. And I was like, no one’s ever
chanted slut before, you know? And the worst was Steph’s got side meat. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Somebody said that on the. From the front row. And I was checking on that because,
you know, you’re putting yourself out there and I don’t look like these girls,
and I know that. But it’s okay. You don’t have to call it out. I feel like it’s creative. But she’s a crack horror with Chicago. That was. Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: I’m not going to lie. The side feet was a little more dirty. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
Side meat was. >> Speaker 1: I’m married. I am a married man. That is just malicious. That is not in good spirit. >> Speaker 2: It did.
I was like, just. And those guys were so
proud of themselves. That’s the worst insult we can use, right? >> Speaker 1: I’m glad
I’m wrestling Logan Paul. I don’t have to worry about that. You can’t. You can’t go heel next to him. He’s going to get booed out. >> Speaker 2: My God, he’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: He is vegan. >> Speaker 2: He’s a great heel. >> Speaker 1: It’s early to say this,
but, like, it’s. Well, you can say this for sure. He’s the best heel of this decade. It’s. >> Speaker 2: I don’t know, 2020. I mean, he’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: Heel work has been. >> Speaker 2: I think
Gunther is right up there. >> Speaker 1: Gunther’s great. You know, when. Gunther’s always had me. But even how he came out of
the Bill Goldberg match, I mean, just that shitty smile. He’s like,
why is everybody having such a bad day? >> Speaker 2: So smug. I love Gunther, but I can tell you this. An amazing heel, but so is Logan. Different heels. >> Speaker 1: It might.
I’m biased, obviously, but I’ve been. I’ve listened to both of
them get booed in person. Logan, when he got booed in Nashville,
Tennessee, I couldn’t hear his promo at first. Yeah, it was that. >> Speaker 2: It was loud. >> Speaker 1: I was, like, waiting for when I was going to be able to say
something and couldn’t really tell. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: And then I was like, you know, I mean, it was. It was.
>> Speaker 2: That’s. Isn’t that the best feeling in the world? >> Speaker 1: I’ve never
experienced nothing. >> Speaker 2: Like, it’s crazy. >> Speaker 1: And the next night
in Atlanta, when they chanted for me when I was getting in the ring and
I got the jelly chant, I was like, I. And it’s. I’m not new to that kind of experience. As far as, like, being dude, What I do and
what that is, there’s nothing like it. Which is why I’m so hooked. Which is why I. >> Speaker 2: Why do you think it is,
though? Why is it a different experience? Because. And I’ve heard you talk a little bit about
this before, and when I was a kid growing up, I remember the first concert I
went to, and it was a great concert. It was Steve Winwood and Joe Cocker. But I was like, this isn’t as fun as wwe. And there’s no signs. And, like, aren’t you people into it? You know?
And they were just. I found it such a passive experience. And then I went to tennis one time, and
no disrespect to tennis, but you can’t. Yeah, you can’t do anything. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: And I was, like, ready to cheer and boo and clap. And, you know, you’re, like, very frowned
upon if you make a noise, especially. >> Speaker 1: If you start booing. Wimbledon. Just booing. Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: But I didn’t know the rules, and nobody smartened me up, so I was very. I was very surprised
when all that happened. But there is nothing
like the WWE audience. I’d love to know your perspective and
what you feel given you actually have the opportunity to perform in
multiple different genres. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, it’s. It’s. The energy is palpable
across the entire building. It’s. And it’s like that. It shows. But the difference is when you hear that. That pop, when somebody takes a bump, or you hear that ring echo through here and
the crowd goes with it. It’s.
I don’t know how to describe it. It’s the only time I’ve ever
got lost in performances. Because, like, when I do what I do for
a living, it’s very important that I’m, like, aware up here. You know what I mean? Like, there are people out here
that I’m trying to connect with in a different kind of way. So I want to make sure that I’m
very present in here and everybody. Every note matters. Like, I’m so in the show and in the people that I don’t never
actually get lost in the performance. Cause I’m just trying to connect for
the entire hour and a half. I’m just trying to make sure that
we’re all connecting together. Cause if I do a good show. If I do a great show, if I do a good show, everybody in the audience at some
point felt like I brought it to them. >> Speaker 2: Like you touched
them personally for sure. >> Speaker 1: And if I do an incredible
show, everybody in the audience will feel like I brought it to them and
I brought them to me. And if I have the best show of my life,
they won’t see me at all. They’ll just see us. It’s just a bird’s eye of the. >> Speaker 2: Whole thing
because everybody’s the same. >> Speaker 1: We’re all in here together. It’s one pain, it’s one heart,
it’s one band, one sound. That’s what I’m going for up here. It takes a lot of, like,
intense connection. >> Speaker 2: Yes. >> Speaker 1: The music’s that way
in there even when I’m training. And there’s not a soul in here,
man, I’m lost in that. I’m so lost in that. And it’s over so fast. >> Speaker 2: It is.
>> Speaker 1: And you want it to start again so quick. You’re so sad it’s over. I did a 10 minute segment on
Smackdown the other night. 11 minute segment. And it was the fastest 11 minutes. It was a roller coaster fast. And it’s like a roller coaster. As soon as you get off,
you’re like, can we. One more?
Just real quick. Just one more. We could just don’t. I don’t want to get off. Just leave me strapped in and
let me go do it one more time. >> Speaker 2: Wait till after you. You work in ring. >> Speaker 1: I can’t.
I’m scared. >> Speaker 2: It’s gonna be great. >> Speaker 1: I’m scared. I’m worried I’m gonna have the bad bunny
thing happen where I’m sure he was like, I’m just gonna take one match at
WrestleMania to scratch my itch. And then he went on to
have like five matches. You know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: He was amazing. Are you ready to hold WWE history
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so you never miss a single moment. So, being that this is a podcast
in partnership with WWE and Fanatics, I know that you are a huge
fan of the Tennessee Titans. So what piece of merchandise,
historically, currently, or who’s your favorite Titans
player of all time? Who would you want their autograph? Like, what. What piece of of memorabilia
would you love to have? >> Speaker 1: There’s so many. Good question. Lifelong Titan fan,
I would say I’m torn between so we did the red jerseys every now and
then, but not very often. So anytime the Titans do the red jerseys,
I’m like, elated that we’re doing the red jersey. >> Speaker 2: And why?
Just because it’s different, you know, it’s. >> Speaker 1: Like when you like a team
for so long, the light blue jerseys, the white jerseys,
blue jersey, that’s all. >> Speaker 2: And you got the uniform. >> Speaker 1: So every now and
then you get a different, like, it’s red. You’re like, thank you. It’s a different kind of a flavor. If I could own a piece of memorabilia or
find it as a fan, when Kevin Dyson, and
he might have it, he’s still. Still lives in Nashville. Caught the Music City miracle
that sent us to the Super Bowl. If I could get that football. If I could, man. Imagine if somebody has that
football with Steve McNair and Kevin Dyson signature on it. God rest Steve McNair. Soul like, that is like. As a Titan fan, I can’t think of another
because between us, I’m such a fan. Everything else, I kind of want. I got all my Derek Henry stuff,
Chris Johnson stuff, Eddie George stuff. Jeffrey Simmons is my boy. He said, you know what’s cool? Some I own right now. I’m excited about. Jeff Simmons gave me his all pro jersey
and signed it to me to hang up at the bar. >> Speaker 2: Yes, I heard about that bar. >> Speaker 1: Really big deal for
me for Jeff Simmons to give me that. >> Speaker 2: I was like, now is
that in the front part of the bar or in Buddy’s in the back, I think. >> Speaker 1: Ooh, I love you, Steph. Love you so much. It’ll be in the front part of the bar. He said he wanted everybody to see it. I wanted to keep. Be selfish with it, but he requested. He said this. The all Pro jersey. You got to put this on Main Street. I said, I got you. I put that on Broadway. Jeff Simmons is Jeff Simmons. Make Drew McIntyre look small. So when he asks for something,
you’re like, yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yeah, that’s it, though. Probably something like that. Big, big Titan guy. Anything Titan, though. You can always get me excited. You know what I really want, Steph? A winning season. Okay, I’ll take a winning season. >> Speaker 2: The winning
season this year. From your lips to God’s ears, right? >> Speaker 1: Hallelujah. >> Speaker 2: Here we go. >> Speaker 1: I have yet
to meet a truly successful person. Me personally, I’m in the entertainment
business, though, right? So obviously, I don’t meet a lot
of CEOs that are normal people. You know what I’m saying? Even the ones I meet with,
y’ all aren’t normal people. >> Speaker 2: I’ve never.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I’m saying? So it’s like. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: And what is normal anyway? >> Speaker 1: So it’s.
You know, I don’t. I don’t have tech CEO friends, so. But all my friends are passionate people. Yeah, it’s not. This isn’t what I do. This is who I am. Music’s not what I do. It’s who I am. I am music. I live music. I love music. It’s all I want. I was Coach Bloom, sweetest dude
ever had to talk to me one day. Said I,
I just want to talk about business. For two seconds. And I was like, yeah, whatever, coach. And I was kind of really in. He’s got my undivided
attention in life right now. Obviously, I don’t listen to nobody else. It’s him. Yes, sir. I’m like, yes, sir. What’s up, coach? And he’s like, just one piece of business. I’m like, yes, sir. And he goes. And he asked me a music question. And I was like,
that’s not business, coach. He’s like, I just don’t want to be
the guy that talks to you about music. And I was like, why not? There’s nothing else I want to talk about. And I was like, and I appreciate that’s how you feel because
that means a lot to me that you care. But like the day that somebody comes up
to me and wants to talk about music and I’m annoyed by it,
I should quit doing music. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Like the day
I don’t go walk on stage. I did a show in my knot,
North Dakota Saturday. Coolest thing happened. First one of these in my life. Sunday, I had a Logan Paul
sucks sign in my crowd. It was awesome. It was so cool. I stopped the show for it. I was like, I’d like to bring attention. >> Speaker 2: That’s so great. >> Speaker 1: But it’s like I’m in my. Not North Dakota. It’s my second time playing this fair. It was one of my favorite
shows a couple of years ago. It’s why I wanted to do it again. And hour before the show,
I’m getting my normal nerves. 15, 20 minutes for the show. I mean, you would think I pissed in
my palms, you know what I’m saying? You would think I’m trying
to hold a cup of water. I mean, I’m just, you know, and it’s. I have guys friends of mine who would say
it’s just a Sunday fair in North Dakota, dude, that’s a phone in show. And I’m like, dog,
these are 19,000 souls with a story. What’s your story? This is 19,000. What’s your stories? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: And they have a story why they’re here. It’s not just a story in life. Their life stories brought them here. I know that because I know
what kind of music I make. I don’t fucking own end shows. I’m petrified. I’m going to go out here and not not only
serve these people what they deserve, but make sure they get the. The dose of God that I told
him I would give them. You know what I’m saying? You know what I mean? I Got an agreement with my
relationship with this guy, too, where I’m like, I got you. I up a lot and cuss a lot, but
I make sure to spread the bread and let people know how I feel,
you know, and it’s a big deal to me. And that is because it’s about. I’m sorry, that’s. You talked about passion. I went on a 12 minute. >> Speaker 2: But that obviously. I mean, showing, not telling, right? Like, that you could feel your passion. Right? >> Speaker 1: Love this shit. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
And that’s. That’s how I feel, too. >> Speaker 1: And what I want wrestling
fans to know is that I am a wrestling fan. I think they get that in this. They are now. It was.
I had the coolest moment with my management where I was like, look,
y’ all need to know something about this. First of all, inside baseball, you can
imagine, not a soul on my team was for this idea. You know what I’m saying? Like, inside baseball,
probably a complete shoot. There wasn’t one person and
that works with me. That was like,
it’s the best idea you’ve ever had. You know what I mean? They were all like, let me get this right. We gave you a month off,
finally, because you begged for it to the point of threatening people,
and then you want to use it to go put yourself in danger right
before you go on a European tour. >> Speaker 2: They’re like, you know,
you’re our bread and butter, right? >> Speaker 1: They were like. They were like, dude,
you’ve got quite a year ahead of you. Like, maybe that you should just spend
that month resting the body instead of beating it to absolute. But I was like, look, man, I love this. And then they sat down and they were like. And then they.
They did some research. They’re like, what? Do you see any upside in this? I was like, y’ all are missing this. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Like, y’ all don’t. This is how I know we
got a disconnect here. You know what I mean? Like, first of all,
I need to warn everybody. Then, since I see the disconnect when this
announces, there’s going to be a small group of wrestling purists that are going
to attack me, and they’re going to seem a lot bigger than they actually are,
because they’re going to be super loud. >> Speaker 2: They’re very loud. They’re very loud. >> Speaker 1: They’re passionate. >> Speaker 2: So respect. >> Speaker 1: And the pet, the real
passionate ones, not the troll ones, that you can never satisfy,
will dig into this storyline and less than one week into this storyline,
and I know what’s coming up the next two weeks but less than one week
into the storyline will turn them. Because they’ll see that I care. Yeah, they’re just so used to celebrities
coming in here and not caring. >> Speaker 2: Well, they’ll. Not only will they see it,
but they’ll feel it. And that’s the intangible, you know? And I think that when we talk
about people finding themselves or whatever it is, to me,
it is that vulnerability. It’s letting them in. And that’s the difference
when you can figure that out, how to actually let them in and
allow yourself to be vulnerable. And you’re connecting with them
because you’re letting them in and they’re feeling it, and
they can feel you’re a fan. You’re one of them, you know? One of us. >> Speaker 1: That’s it.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: That’s my favorite chant. Shows when my shows. It’s a quote we have on our tour bus
is like, when we call you one of us, there is no greater terminology. We can like inside baseball with my boys. You see my boy smiling over there? Ear to ear.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Because that’s
how we’ll talk to each other. I’ll be like, yo, one of us. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Just instantly
it’s like they get it. You know what I mean? It’s like even hearing your stories and
knowing your story and being a fan of the POD is like. I always joke with people that
don’t take this wrong, but they mistake I’m super white trash,
and they mistake, like money and white trash for
being two different things. And you’re a great example of a person
who’s grew up with some money but is white trash as fuck. You know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: It’s like, I’m sorry,
that’s actually the head. Well, my dad did grow up in
a trailer park as well, so. >> Speaker 1: Well, it’s like, dude, you’ve been in the wrestling
business your whole life. >> Speaker 2: My whole life.
>> Speaker 1: I didn’t expect you to fucking be, you know what I’m saying? Shout out to fucking Sally Sue. You know what I mean? It’s like I knew what I was getting,
getting, you know what I mean? And that’s awesome. To me, it’s like, you’re one of us. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? Like, of my kind. Like, we look at you as one of us,
which is crazy. If we had to just only stereotype
you by where you grew up, you wouldn’t believe that. But then we get to talk to
you like you’re one of us. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: You’re truly one. Nobody’s better than anybody else. >> Speaker 1: Well, I think that that’s. >> Speaker 2: That’s what I believe in. >> Speaker 1: Well, yeah. No.
100%. Nobody’s nobody. >> Speaker 2: I don’t care who you are. It does not matter. No one is better than any other person. And dude, we’re all eating sandwiches
looking for some peanut butter. That’s the trick,
you know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: Well, I was told you have
to learn to eat and like the taste, so there wasn’t a lot of peanut butter. >> Speaker 1: This is great. >> Speaker 2: So. Well, actually, Elise,
I’m gonna let you ask question. I keep going. >> Speaker 3: That’s fine. I was going to ask before when we were
talking about the fans and passion. I recently saw a video of a fan. She was holding a sign. We couldn’t quite figure
out if it was her mother or her grandmother that she had lost. And you’ve shared it all,
this passion, I can feel it. Every song that you sing
again on the plaint, you’re always someone we’re listening to. You feel the message. And if you’ve been through shit, you. You get it. You know, what is it like to stand
up there and just connect with. With someone who you see, like what you’re
singing about means something to them. How do you. You know,
how do you put that feeling into words? >> Speaker 1: It’s. Have you ever had a cry that was like
unexpected, or maybe you knew, Mike, you were watching something. You’re like, this could trigger this. You know what I mean? But it happens. And then it’s like the most
cathartic cry ever. That’s every night. That’s. I get teary eyed talking about crying. >> Speaker 3: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Because, like, I think y’. >> Speaker 2: All.
>> Speaker 1: This is why I’m so glad I’m getting to like, talk about wrestling with what
I do to parallel the two. I think about the signs, right? You seeing that sign,
is like, this is every night. Like when you go to a WWE event, there’s
signs everywhere, and they’re waiting for the moment to put up a sign. Like when we have the sign moment at
our show and they finally pop up. Imagine being in a WWE event, but imagine every sign being something like,
I beat stage four cancer. I’m not okay, but I’m all right. 217 days sober. It’s like damn hard to talk about,
not cry. >> Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean. >> Speaker 1: And I joke because I’m
always crying on TV about this shit, but it’s hard to see it every night and
not feel it. >> Speaker 4: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: It’s hard.
You don’t. I’m not numb to it. It doesn’t. That little girl affected me that way. >> Speaker 4: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: Like, I felt like a criminal
for not acknowledging her pain. >> Speaker 4: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: And I struggle now cuz
you can’t acknowledge all the signs, you know what I mean? But it’s crazy signs of people still
battling cancer, coming through addiction or RIP signs when I spoke
to Congress about fentanyl one time. And I’ve always wrote songs about
addiction cuz I’ve just struggled with it. I have it in my family,
child’s mother has it. I’m from a long line
of that kind of stuff. But it’s like it still don’t hit no
different when a little girl’s holding a sign that goes, you know,
my father overdosed with the date, you know what I mean? His favorite song was Save Me,
will you dedicate it to him? And it’s a 12 year old girl. >> Speaker 4: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: It’s like you can joke
about me crying all the time, but you don’t have to feel that. I don’t see it. I feel it. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. Because that’s what it’s all about. >> Speaker 1: That’s what it’s about. >> Speaker 2: And
that’s why you do what you do. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: It’s.
It’s to give them those moments and to let them know they’re not alone. Right? They, they’re, they’re seen and
heard in, in a very special, in a very unique way through your music and through
the message that, that you’re sending. It’s, it’s really. >> Speaker 1: There it is, there she is. What a sweet little girl. >> Speaker 2: She.
>> Speaker 3: My, my friend had shared this and the caption
was protect Jelly Roll at all costs. >> Speaker 1: Because, dude,
I’m telling you, man, it’s struggling. That’s every night. I mean, every night,
every show, every city, it is tens of thousands of
people with stories similar. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, What a gift. What a gift, what a gift. >> Speaker 1: It’s all God, man. >> Speaker 2: That’s amazing. >> Speaker 1: God, dude, I promised my wife I was gonna
quit crying on the Internet. Then they bring up a viral clip,
a little girl, me crying together. It’s just. >> Speaker 2: That was your fault. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Why did you give her a question? Right, right. >> Speaker 1: You were so
much cooler when you were just AD living. I had to laugh my way out of that one. I had to laugh my way. >> Speaker 3: That’s all right.
>> Speaker 2: You didn’t see, that’s called, that’s called a humor. >> Speaker 1: That’s called a human. Call that humor masking in therapy. Yeah, I had to learn that term because
imagine my first 20 therapy sessions, I thought I was a comedian. So just trying to get out of
every question, like haha. But I feel it, man,
it’s passing, it’s real. It’s honesty. And I also think about vulnerability. We talked about this off camera. I think it’s been my superpower. And I think about the vulnerability
it takes to come to this show and make that sign. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 4: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: Like, I think about
the vulnerability it takes to come to the show. I tell you what it takes almost. It takes more vulnerability to come to the
show and not make the sign and just be. You just had to [INAUDIBLE]
the fight to get there. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Like, I know the fight it
is for me to get out of bed some days. >> Speaker 4: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: Like, the fight to
get there with some of the shit. You know what I mean?
Like, dude, I mean, it’s just crazy. I think I think about all that
when I’m on stage, you know, and which is why I love this,
because when I’m doing this, I’m just thinking about tucking my chin or
making sure I don’t hurt nobody. You know what I mean? You’re just kind of lost
in the performance. But when I’m doing what I do, it is. It’s all about finding. Finding that story. >> Speaker 2: Would you
say it’s like a healing? >> Speaker 1: It’s healing. That’s why I said it’s like the. The cathartic cry. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: It’s not like the funeral day of a friend cry, where
you cry all day and just get a headache. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: This is like you cry and you leave and you’re like, it’s all right. Like, dude, I feel better. I think people leave my
shows feeling better. Feeling better. Like, feeling lighter,
like, feeling more free. Feeling more like, man,
this is a safe place. Like, I had a girl hold
a sign up the other day. Talking about one of
made me get emotional. Just said, thanks for being my safe place. >> It’s a teenage girl. >> Speaker 4: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: It’s like, that’s crazy. But I remember my radio
being my safe place. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: And
that’s why it hits so different. Because when you look at it,
you’re like, man, I remember when the radio
was my safe place. I remember when I would go, like, I show
my age, but we had the cassette tapes and we would go record the radio,
the top 10 radio on the cassette, you know what I mean? And then we would play
back the songs we liked or make our own little cassette tapes of it,
you know? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
Mixtapes. Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: And I didn’t know this at the time, but
I’m gonna teach all of us old people some. We would do this thing where we would stay
up at night because you’d hear the new songs at night, right? So you could get ahead of everybody. So if you’d stay up late,
you catch a new song. And by the time it got hot on the radio,
he was already been hit. I now that I’ve been blessed,
that country radio has been so good to me. No, that is called being
put in overnights. When you first get put on the radio, the first chance they give
you is an overnight rotation. I didn’t know that at the time, but
I just knew that if you stayed up late, you’d hear some different shit,
you know what I’m saying? So I was like that kind
of a nerd about it. >> Speaker 2: Jesus, so sorry. >> Speaker 3: Time to feed the dogs. >> Speaker 2: No, it’s Gus’s liver pill. Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Is that a dog? My boy, he’s only a year old and he was
just in the hospital for two nights. He had gotten a bad staph infection. He was put on sulfur drugs and he was one of the rare dogs that had
a reaction and his liver almost failed. And he’s good now. We believe. >> Speaker 1: I was like,
this podcast keeps getting sadder. >> Speaker 2: No, he’s okay. >> Speaker 1: Okay, good. >> Speaker 2: But, yeah, he’s the cutest. >> Speaker 1: Do we need to tell somebody? Do we need to text somebody to remind
him and give him his liver pill? >> Speaker 2: You know, I’m on it. But that’s. These are my two dogs. This is Attila and Gus. >> Speaker 1: Gus is the one to the right. >> Speaker 2: He is the one on the bottom. >> Speaker 1: Yep, that was my guess. Yeah, Gus looks like a Gus. >> Speaker 2: He is a Gus. >> Speaker 1: I like Gus. >> Speaker 2: He’s 180 pounds. I got a one year old. >> Speaker 1: I got a basset
hound called Bussy. He’s called the bus dog. >> Speaker 2: I love it. When my wife got him,
he grew up on the bus. >> He did.
>> On the calabash, yep. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> So we call him Busy the Bus Dog. >> Speaker 2: I love it. >> Speaker 1: He’s the dude, man. >> He is, right?
>> Floppy, weird, long, hee’s the coolest thing in the world. >> Speaker 2: On all the sofas and
everything. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, we’re not. You know how that is. It’s white trash. He seeps in the bed with us,
just bad, bad parenting. >> Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Well, our dogs are too big to be in the bed. >> Speaker 1: Busy. Damn near is. Dude, look at that big dog. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, that’s Gus. >> Speaker 1: Dude, look at him. >> Yeah. >> That was my father.
>> Sitting on his mind. >> Speaker 2: He’s like,
yeah, he sits on all of us. He loves to cuddle. >> Speaker 1: I love when
you got 200 pound lap dog. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, he does. >> Speaker 1: He has no clue he’s
that big, he has absolutely no. >> Speaker 2: No, he doesn’t,
and he’s like a total beta. He’s scared all the time. And he hides behind Attila,
you know, like, she. She’s. She’s definitely the alpha. Yeah.
Yeah. And then he comes right behind me. He’s starting to learn. He’s starting to learn. >> Speaker 1: You got dogs? >> Speaker 2: I do.
I have two Golden Doodles. >> Speaker 1: The doodles. >> Speaker 2: Doodles. Nala and Winnie, they’re. They’re getting up there. Eight and nine. I feel like all of a sudden. You got a long way to go with them. Like, I feel like they’re. Yeah, no, they’re the best. >> Speaker 1: My girls before
the kids keep loving on them. >> Speaker 2: They’re in our bed, too. >> Speaker 1: Yep.
Nope? >> Speaker 2: Yeah,
ours is not in our bed. Not in our bed. >> Speaker 1: My bus dog slept on-
>> Yours cannot be. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
Yeah. >> Speaker 2: I’m telling you. No, really.
They kick us out of the bed. >> Speaker 1: No.
For sure, Bus Dog. >> Is huge.
>> He’s not that big, though, he’s like 65 pounds. >> Speaker 2: Well.
And Bus’s arms and legs are very, very long. >> Yeah.
>> He just- >> Speaker 1: I just seen him sitting on- >> Tall. >> There’s a big dog. >> On that one, too,
they’re like, he’s the champ. The only time Triple H did a job. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> [LAUGH]
>> That’s what I thought. >> Speaker 1: That’s great. Undefeated. God, that’s awesome. >> Speaker 2: So what was your
first exposure to wrestling like? And what stories do you remember? Who resonated with you the most? >> Speaker 1: Well, of course, I guess
I was probably right before late 7, 8, 9 years old, that era, I would say
that was Ultimate Warrior Hogan days, kind of right around the peak of that. But before that,
I remember all the older storylines, too, though junkyard dog,
Brutus the barber, beefcake, these guys would come to
the fairgrounds all the time. I think it was
Smoky Mountain Wrestling back then. And we’d either go up to East Tennessee
and watch it sometimes, or we would watch it right back
at the Nashville fairgrounds. They had a regular Saturday show in
Nashville that we would go see it. I always tell the joke, and
I told it on the other day, but we would either go to night court or
wrestling. Yeah, that was the two
things we would go do. >> Speaker 2: So
can you expound upon night court? Because I was actually
unaware of this practice. >> Speaker 1: This is-
>> White trash as I am. >> Speaker 1: This is special,
I don’t know if they still have it. If they do, I should take my son,
but back in the days, you would go to the jail downtown 448
Second Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee. I know because I was there at one point. And we would go down there and
you’d walk in the front door, and then they had a place where you’d walk,
and it was pews, like a church. Concrete, like a jail, Plexiglass,
like unbreakable Plexiglas. And then a judge. And a judge sat behind
a piece of plexiglass. And then there was
a little box next to him. There was a Plexiglas and
some bars separating him from this box and a plexiglass from us, so
I would watch a movie, the Judge. And they would bring drunk people in,
and they would plead their case to the overnight judge because they couldn’t
get a bond until in the morning to see if they would set a bond or
he’d cut them all close. Imagine how white trash my mom
is that she puts nine of us, eight of us in an Oldsmobile. Lights up, dude. I mean, the whole family, I mean,
I had two, three older brothers, an older sister, me, five, she was six,
probably two friends with us. I mean, we’d be stacked like a. >> Speaker 2: Like a clown and
just come on, time to go to nightclub. >> Speaker 1: Hey, come on.
We’re gonna go do something fun, we’d be like, yeah, no,
we get, what do you know? We didn’t.
Couldn’t, whatever. So we’d go and we would watch
drunk people plead their case. And once we realized what it was,
it was the funniest. Imagine Judge Judy. But only drunk people. Only people that had car acc, there would be guys that fell asleep
in the middle of an intersection drunk. And they’re in there, pleading there,
I haven’t had a dude, I’ve been sober seven years, and
he’s like drooling on himself. >> [LAUGH]
>> Speaker 1: Or the ones that would come in and just cuss the judge out like
it was constant entertainment. Every now and then you,
the best were the domestic disputes. >> Uh-oh.
>> Cuz they would have to bring the husband and wife in separate back
then, they would just rest them both. They go, we’ll figure it out,
the courthouse. And then they come down and each one
would have to come in front of the judge. So the girl comes in first like
that no good cheating bitch. He fucking, He’s been fucking Cindy and
she’s like losing her, and we’re like, damn, they wanna check us out. >> [LAUGH]
>> Speaker 2: Wait now, were you allowed to be interactive? >> Speaker 1: Yeah, no, we were cheering,
we never got in trouble for it. Dude, there was weekends,
it was packed in there. It was like the club you-
>> Everybody doing the same thing. >> Speaker 1: Dude,
my mom started bringing neighbors. >> Speaker 2: We’re
gonna need a bigger car. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
And I wondered. Finally I realized if we went down there, it’s cuz we couldn’t afford
wrestling that weekend. This was free. This was free, entertaining,
you know what I’m saying? But we would go watch wrestling
all through, you know, the Ultimate Warrior era. Sid. It wasn’t Sid Vicious, who was the first Sid there was
y’ all had three different Sids. Psycho Sid. >> Speaker 2: Psycho Sid, yeah. >> Speaker 1: Vicious. >> Speaker 2: And I don’t know if he. >> Speaker 1: Vicious, I don’t remember,
but we went and watched all. >> Speaker 2: Psycho Sid was more. >> Speaker 1: My Psycho Sid
was a little bit after. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: But we. >> Speaker 2: Did you see
the footage of him breaking his leg? >> Speaker 1: God,
I cannot watch breaking leg footage. By the way. >> Speaker 2: Very, very awful. >> Speaker 1: Ever since that scene. Anderson Silva break his leg. I was there when he kicked Chris Wyman and
it snapped like in the arena. I’m haunted by that. I can hear the sound. It’s like bone breaking is one thing. I got a weak stomach. I’ve got a super weak stomach. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, super, and
then blasting into the attitude era. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: I’m like turning 12. >> Speaker 1: So you can imagine. >> Speaker 2: Yes, yes. >> Speaker 1: What I think when I watch. I love Jake the Snake Roberts before the,
the gimmick, the. The religious gimmick just as just Jake
the Snake Roberts, loved, loved him. So then he has a religious gimmick. And then, you know, when Austin shoots the
big promo and becomes Austin that night. And just the beginning of what felt like
would be the next decade of just insanity. And it was, you Know what I mean? Yeah.
Absolute insanity. >> Speaker 2: I came in at the tail end. >> Speaker 1: I remember. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: No, no, no. I remember.
>> Speaker 2: No, it was crazy. >> Speaker 1: No, it was. It felt it like we would. Because I remember it went from the
fairgrounds to the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. It felt like overnight. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: It just felt like all of a sudden,
we wanna watch wrestling at the Municipal. And back then, y’ all were doing dark
matches in Nashville, Tennessee. If y’ all were running the south,
the Southern circuit, dude, we might get. I’m not making this up. Five, six, seven shows a year sometimes,
you know what I mean? Like, just. It was always coming through,
so it was like. It was just so, so
easy to be a fan at the time. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? And it was awesome. >> It was so fun, dude. And iconic memories. Me and my brother,
my oldest brother, Scott D. Ford, nerd out about this all the time. Now that I’m down here is like. And now that me and DJ become friends
over the years of, I remember- >> Speaker 2: And when you say DJ, you mean The Rock. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, the Rock. I remember watching him stand up on
that top rope, you know what I mean? On that second rope and do the Rock thing. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: With the eyebrow in 97,
96, or 98 or whatever it was. And just like Helman Stone Cold and
that being, thinking wrestling. That’s [BLEEP] love. This dude, man. One of the sweet. You know this, but one of the sweetest souls else to
be the most famous dude on Earth. He sure don’t act like it’s. But just remember, like, how much it. Talk about making it feel something. Like, it was different. Because I remember when I was a kid,
I would watch Hulk and. And Ultimate Warrior, and it made me
feel something, but not like, that era. You know what I mean? And what has went on to be now. I was one of the other reasons I’m so
glad that I got in a situation to do a match with y’ all at this point
in my life and career is I think the storytelling right now is,
like, the last five, six years, especially the Roman era,
has been attitude, error, fire to me. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: Like, I agree. >> Speaker 1: And I’m the old protective. And I know somebody online right now,
like, how dare it’s like. But look, man, we’re always looking for
what happened. Yeah. Also, y’, all, if we’re always looking for
what happened, then we’re never going to
love what’s happening now. >> Speaker 2: That’s true. >> Speaker 1: Don’t make us. Don’t make us look up 10 years
from now and be like, damn, that Roman era was really crazy. Like, except it’s crazy now. Except that we’re in it right now. And it’s fire. Like, it’s fire right now. I was even looking at, like, a summer. I was thinking about SummerSlam and
all the years of SummerSlam and thinking about Brock, you know, And
I think about that walking here earlier, I seen that old SummerSlam poster
with Brock, and I was like, even you think about this SummerSlam
right now going into two nights, like, Punk, Gunther, Cody, Cena. Like, just the two. The poster’s already crazy. Randy, Drew, Logan, Jelly Roll. Jelly Roll. I’m sneaking my way in there, headlining. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, right.
>> Speaker 1: Sneaking that way in there. >> Speaker 2: Right on there. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
You know what I mean? Just excuse me. Pardon me. >> Speaker 2: You’ve earned it. You’ve earned it. >> Speaker 1: I’ll tell you this. I am really trying my hardest for. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: I promise y’ all that,
like, if nothing else, everyone in this building will tell you
that, like, I’m really trying, Steph. Like, I show up every day
with a good attitude. I work all day. I bust ass. I don’t complain. Yes, sir. Yes, ma’. Am. Learn as much as I can. Like, I’m gonna show up a lot more
prepared than I think people think I’m gonna show up. And I still want to manage their
expectations that I’m not gonna be good. You know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: But you’re trying. >> Speaker 1: But
I’m trying, trying, trying. And, like, I think it’s going to impress
people for the amount of time I put in it. But what I learned about this, and
I knew about this, too, was that, man, this is a lifelong sport. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? Like, these kids, their kids. >> Speaker 2: But there’s.
There’s a really important lesson in what you’re saying, and I think that’s. You get out what you put in for sure. Right.
And that’s true. No matter what it is in life. >> Speaker 1: Anytime
a celebrity’s got involved in. The WWE was always in an effort for wrestling to get the pop
culture look it deserves. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: And I think it’s fucked up. It takes working with one of us to do it. Yeah.
Ties, for sure. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: When Mike came in, all the moments,
the Floyd fight with the big show, our current president was in there
throwing a couple of punches one time. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Like, you know, that’s correct. >> Speaker 2: This is
the billionaires you remember. Yes.
>> Speaker 1: It’s like, you know, it’s. This is. I could.
I could bore you with these. You know, it’s like,
I watched this my whole life. That was my. That was my fan moment. Was like, when I started to become
a musician and famous, I was like, man, I wonder if I’ll ever be famous
enough as a musician to do one of those wrestling things. You know what I’m saying? Like, because I know,
like, when we FaceTime. Tony. Tony’s a real fan. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: That’s another. You want to talk about how me and
Tony became friends early nerd. Not about wrestling. And we’d sit down and
talk about the flagship events. Anytime something
happened at WrestleMania, we just call each other immediately and be
like, yo, like, The Night of WrestleMania. Not this one, the one before. We were on the phone all night. Like, kids. >> Speaker 2: That’s so cool. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean?
Like, kids, like, calling, like, yeah, the last 10 minutes with the crazy thing. You know what I mean? It was just like, you know,
that’s another takeaway. And I’m sorry, I’m just rambling,
but I’m so excited to talk about. I don’t have nobody to talk to about this. I wasn’t allowed to talk about
it until y’ all announced it. So for three weeks, I was doing the
coolest thing I ever couldn’t tell a soul. But it’s. I’m learning that, like, a lot of my
therapy was around inner child, you know, like a lot of my food addiction. We talked about this off camera. Was about the young man. Because I got fat really young. Like, really, really young. Was over 300 pounds coming
out of middle school. I’m gonna be under 300 pounds for
the first time since middle school. The night I walked to
that ring at SummerSlam. >> Speaker 2: That’s. >> Speaker 1: That’s an exclusive here. I haven’t said that nowhere. My goal. For the first time since middle school,
I will be under 300 pounds for the first time since I was. We’re talking about literally now,
like, fifth, sixth grade. Literally. >> Speaker 2: Wow.
Wow. Congratulations. >> Speaker 1: Literally.
And I should be. >> Speaker 2: That’s amazing. >> Speaker 1: Under £300. I don’t.
I weigh in once a month. I weighed in right before I got here. We have the scale documented that month. I’m pretty sure I’ll. I mean, I’m doing the work. It ain’t.
No way. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: And you want to be on
the COVID of Men’s Health March20. >> Speaker 1: That’s the goal. That’s the goal. That’s the goal.
You want me to set another big one right now? >> Speaker 2: Please.
>> Speaker 1: I haven’t said another one in a while. This will make my publicist hate me. >> Speaker 2: Sorry.
Ooh, I like that. >> Speaker 1: I want to do
a shirt off cover in 27. >> Speaker 2: Wow. That’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: And that.
I mean, I’m a long way from that, obviously. Like, I got.
I’d have to. I’m gonna have to get my skin cut. I mean, I’ve got to do a lot of. >> Speaker 2: Do you have to do that? >> Speaker 1: I’m gonna have to,
because it’s interfering with me and my daily functions, and there’s. It’s not even an aesthetic thing. Now that I can take my shirt off and
not have saggy tits, that’s gonna be a big bonus. You know what I mean? Like.
You know what I mean? But, like, it’s just. >> Speaker 2: Tell me about it. >> Speaker 1: Tmi. >> Speaker 2: I was trying
not to hate it when you. When they sag. It’s the worst. >> Speaker 1: While we’re over sharing
today with each other, I’m just. I’m just hanging too much. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: And it’s, like, interfering with, like,
just daily function. Sometimes I’m having to, like, strap. I’m having to wear, like,
compression clothes. >> Speaker 2: Okay.
>> Speaker 1: Because the shit’s just bad. It’s a great problem to have. >> Speaker 2: And
is it supposed to shrink? >> Speaker 1: I don’t know. I haven’t done enough. Everybody I talk to that really
did it the way I’ve done it. It’s like, look, man,
eventually you’re either going to. Either swollen up and it’ll. I know a couple of guys who never cut,
and they did get really jacked, and it still sags, but it’s not as bad. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: But I don’t know that I’m. >> Speaker 2: Well,
you’ll see how your skin is. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
I don’t think I want to see myself getting really jacked. Maybe later. That’s something I want to do later. But when you spend your whole life being
obese, morbidly obese, or really fat, you’re not your first instinct. And I want to be big. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: It’s like I want to actually get a small. >> Speaker 2: I think you’ll be
surprised how muscular you are. >> Speaker 1: No, I’m finding that out. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. Because you’re carrying
around all that weight. That’s. >> Speaker 1: Dude, my neck. It took me three weeks to start
properly taking snapback bumps. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Because where I didn’t. I had no athletic background
coming in here, Steph. I’ve had to train and build these neck. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Slowly. I’ve had to get in this ring every day and
do 20 or 30 of these and, like, start doing just every day. Coach Bloom was so patient with me. He’ll coach smalls. And they just be like,
we just gonna do it slow with you, baby. Just lay down.
And I just do the lay down. Just, like, do them as you can. Just build that muscle. And then we started doing the mid row. So now we’re doing snapback. So it’s like, it’s been a real. >> Speaker 2: Well, and
it’s very unnatural to fall backwards. >> Speaker 1: It’s the most hard to learn. And it’s.
I even catch myself do. Now that I know what’s happening. I feel so bad for the years I was
a fan watching them do it and completely undermining
how insane that was. You know what I mean? Like, completely. >> Speaker 2: How can you
appreciate it if you’ve. >> Speaker 1: Never done it, dude,
you think you can appreciate it? >> Speaker 2: Yeah, there’s nothing. Like.
>> Speaker 1: Even though when I’m talking to people, they’re like, so,
like, how soft is it up there? I was like, it’s a piece of plywood, dog. What are you talking about, soft? Nothing. >> Speaker 2: No, but it’s bouncy. I’ve seen it bounce. Yeah.
No. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
It’s like. Yeah.
It’s got a coiled spring and a piece of plywood, dog. It’s like, nobody come in here sign
a waiver and let me just put you. I’ll just lay you down on it. Watch what it feels like. It hurts to. It hurts your knees to rub against it. That’s something else. Is.
It’s not slick. >> Speaker 2: No, the canvas. >> Speaker 1: The canvas. >> Speaker 2: The mat burn. >> Speaker 1: It burns. These ropes are cable,
they’re not rubber bands. This is all stuff I’m
having to teach people. I knew this kind of. >> Speaker 2: But they won’t get it. No. And even when I tell them it’s a cable,
they’re like, yeah, but like, you know, why does it. >> Speaker 1: It moves so much? >> Speaker 2: And I was like, because
a 280 pound man is running into the cable. >> Speaker 1: Right? >> Speaker 2: It’s a cable. You know what I’m saying? I’m like, tr In the writer’s house,
I just show them my back. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know, the first two weeks I was here,
I just had that rip. >> Speaker 1: My whole side was purple and
blue. >> Speaker 2: Mine is right here. From here.
From doing. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: I don’t want to say, but doing something I’m gonna try to do,
it’s cool. And it’s like, if I can do it,
but if I can do it. But because of practicing
it a thousand times. I mean, if I took my pants off much. All up my ass. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
No, I. I can picture it. >> Speaker 2: I am bad, dude. My shoulders were so bruised. I tell you how soft I was. I didn’t realize how just much of a not
man I had became in light of just being a Traveling musician for 15 years. Locking up. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: I had a bruise on my
shoulder just from it and just having so much. And they’re not hitting it,
they’re not slapping the. Out of me. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: But like. Yeah, just where I haven’t done anything,
I haven’t lifted a weight. I haven’t done. Every muscle I have is just
from years of being fat. >> Speaker 1: But
you’ve been playing basketball. >> Speaker 2: Shooting ball. I’ve been hooping stiff. You should see. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Pretty good for a big so. >> Speaker 1: And it makes me. Because your knees, like. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, I got good knees. >> Speaker 1: You must, because you’re doing a lot of
stuff from taking the bumps. Yeah.
Do you wear pads? >> Speaker 2: Yes, ma’. Am.
>> Speaker 1: Okay. >> Speaker 2: Dude.
Yeah, it’s still up. You mean that one’s healing Finally. But that’s my. I was talking. >> Speaker 1: Your body will
build up the resistance to it. >> Speaker 2: But
I’m learning this about the. About the ropes now because,
like the first two or three weeks, it hurt every time I hit them. >> Speaker 1: And then you just. You kind of get numb. I don’t know what actually happens. >> Speaker 2: I would. >> Speaker 1: Physiologically,
but I wonder if it’s like. >> Speaker 2: When you play a guitar and
your fingers callous. >> Speaker 1: Eventually, maybe. >> Speaker 2: Probably
not a clear callous, but I would assume it’s something like. >> Speaker 1: Something like that. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, I would assume it’s. If Steph was in here, I’d ask her. She’d have an answer. But it’s something like. I’ve Learned a lot. I mean, opening up my child, learning. Learning something new. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: I’m a 40 year old man that’s learning for
the first time in a long time. >> Speaker 1: There’s a part of your
brain that actually grows when you really try something new, something challenging. >> Speaker 2: I’m writing the best songs
of my career because of it, I think, because I’m leaving here so
endorphin every day. And I’m like, well, you said you. >> Speaker 1: Came off of this tour, that it was the best spiritual
tour you’ve ever had. And I’m assuming because of some of these
moments that you’re talking about and these people who truly have this
catharsis when they come to your show and this connection, and now here you are
having the opportunity to do something for yourself, you know, and push yourself in
ways that you never, ever have before and that you’ve always wanted to because you
actually went to wrestling school for a little bit. Right? >> Speaker 2: Do you remember doa? The Harris brothers. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Yep.
Chains had a place in La Verne at the old co op. And when I was a kid, this was. I told, you know,
this because I’ve been telling you and your husband this every time I seen y’. All.
This story started whenever I got involved in
Monday Night Raw a couple years ago. Ya’ll came to Nashville. And the cool part of this, how God works,
is when I come in that night, they go, hey, we want to get you involved. Dominic Mysterio’s doing
a match with Randy. Randy had just came back and there was
like, you know, we’re gonna have a moment where he comes over and you’re gonna
just push him out of the way and. Cool.
And you know, we, we, we walk through it and
I’m like, this is great. I can’t believe I’m
getting to get involved. And. And the way we walked through was. Went one way and then when it actually
happened and the fun, they’re laughing. This is real stuff in this business. I’m learning fast. But Randy also is funny and he is. He’s been doing this so long. He’s very a relaxed performer. Yeah, I didn’t know this at the time,
though. I just met him. And in run through, I don’t have
an interaction with him at all. So I push Dominic and
Randy just sidesteps and let’s go. And then walks over,
you know, dabs me up and makes a joke about me smelling like pot. This is all on national television. >> Speaker 1: And you’re like, great. What?
>> Speaker 2: And in this moment, I was like, this is the coolest
thing that’s ever happened. I was like,
the apex predators kicking it with me. >> Speaker 1: It’s cool. >> Speaker 2: It was just a child of me. And I go backstage and
he puts his arm around me. We do an interview, and
I thought that was so cool. >> Speaker 1: But
he intentionally also disarmed you. He made you feel at home. And that’s a psychology trick as well. >> Speaker 1: And
only the best can really do that. He’s made me feel awesome. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: And then I see Neil Lowy that night. Yalls music director. He’s been with y’ all 20 years,
hero in my story with the WWE, obviously. And he’s my consummate baby
face in this scenario. You know what I’m saying? And I go to Neil, and I go, neil,
you gotta let me take a bump next time. And Neil’s like, yeah, but
we’re pretty serious about that. You gotta spend a couple weeks down
in Florida and, you know, whatever, whatever, whatever. I was like, I’m in. He was like, gotta get cleared for
some medical stuff. I was like,
I’m gonna lose the weight and do it. I told Hunter Paul. I was like, I’m lose this weight. I’m gonna do this fast. Circle, circle around. I come back to do SummerSlam,
you know what I mean? I’m down 50, 60, 70 pounds,
and I get to choke. Slam Austin theory, dude. Man, that was the night I caught the buck. I left there that night, and
nobody else knew it, but I knew I was gonna lose enough weight
to take a match if they’d have me. So I walked straight to the back. And I’m, like,
completely tone deaf in the moment now. I’ve been around y’ all’s business
enough to know how wild this was. But I walked back like, they’re not
in the middle of producing the show. And I’m like, everybody,
stop what you’re doing. I was like, paul, if I lose another
hundred pounds, can I do one of these? He was like, yeah, man. I was like, for real? He was like, we’ll figure it out, dude. We love you. And I was like, you promise? And we’re Paul producing the fucking show. And I’m like, I swear. I’m like, all right, cool. And I leave. And I’m like, right then. So circle back around WrestleMania. This year, I’m down about another 75,
you know what I’m saying? Paul’s like, dude, you’re looking good. I was like, am I looking match ready? And Paul goes. You’re really close, man. And I was like, what about SummerSlam? He was like, you do your part,
we’ll do ours. >> Speaker 1: How cool, dude. >> Speaker 2: Like, and it was like,
it really became a North Star for my journey two years ago when I started
the process, you know what I mean, of, like, that’s something people don’t know,
is that I’ve worked my way to this moment. You know what I mean? Like, I have truly, and
I know my personality. This won’t be my only match,
because now I want it. Now I’m going to want to see myself do it,
knowing it in better shape. I know I haven’t even done the match,
and I’m already so inspired down here, Stephanie, that I’m already, like, when I lose another 60 pounds and I get to
come back, I’m coming off that top rope. >> Speaker 1: Wow.
All right. >> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: Like,
I swear, coming off the top. >> Speaker 2: This is bothering me how
much I’m falling in love with this. I never thought I’d be in a situation. I woke up and
excited to go throw myself on the ground. >> Speaker 1: I know it’s a crazy thing. >> Speaker 2: There’s
no other way to say it. You literally just like, I’m gonna leave
here right after we do this pod and go in the other room into the. You know,
before I go leave here for the day, probably do another 20
just snapback bumps. Just trying to keep trying to build
this muscle right here and, Yep. Make sure I don’t throw
my head off the pavement. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, I know. >> Speaker 2: I’m still
talking about this, but that’s something else I’m
learning about myself. I’ve never been this. I get nervous before shows and
anxious because I care. >> Speaker 1: Right.
>> Speaker 2: But I’m not scared to do a show, right? >> Speaker 2: I am scared. Every day I walk in here, I am petrified. >> Speaker 1: I know exactly how you feel. Because it’s not like I’m
an avid wrestler, you know, I’ve wrestled maybe 10,
maybe 12 times, and every time is very carefully
choreographed and everything else. And I’ve trained my ass off, too. But I know exactly how you feel, you know,
And I was getting in there with Rhonda, you know, I’d be out there all the time
just trying to listen and learn, you know, because I learned. I’ve learned different facets of
the business at different times. But when I really learned being. Being in the ring and the psychology
of what everyone was doing, why, that was all from Hunter, that was all
from Paul and getting to be by his side. And he would always teach me, you know, if
you would ask, he would always teach me. But everybody’s goofing
off in the ring and everything when I have to take a bump and
it’s like, so how do I do this? Can you guys tell me? Like, do I run into it? Do I put my hands up? Like, what exactly do I do? And it’s always, it’s easy. No problem. You’ll be fine. Okay.
>> Speaker 2: That was the hard part, too, was not putting my hands up. Cuz every instinct in you when
a 275 pound, 6’7” Scottish man is trying to kick you would be to
block it, you know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 1: You feel me? >> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: But I think sometimes
there is a natural reaction to put your hands up. And that’s real. You would think you would put. >> Speaker 2: You know, what I love about
this is that’s what they’ve all told me. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: They were like, look, man, the good news is as long as you’re honest
in what you’re doing in that moment, you’re going to be okay either way. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: And I was like, wow. Because just all these nuances are just. It is. I.
I’ve watched it for the stories my whole life. Now I watch it totally different. >> Speaker 1: Yep. >> Speaker 2: Every little thing
is hinting towards something. Like, that’s something. I don’t think even the average fan,
we look for these little Easter eggs our whole time, but it’s like, no,
man, y’ all got to really watch. Everything’s an Easter egg in there. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
And everything’s building. And it never ends. >> Speaker 2: Never ends. >> Speaker 1: It never ends. >> Speaker 2: Is that your favorite part
of it, is the actual storytelling part? >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Finding the next way to make
sure it stays hip again. >> Speaker 1: The storytelling
is everything. It just is. That’s what hooks you, but I truly believe
that storytelling is getting back to the beginning of this podcast. It is the best form of communication. And if you can make. If you could take people on a ride on
an emotional roller coaster like that, there’s nothing cooler than that. What’s one of your most memorable
experiences from a writer’s room? >> Speaker 2: You know,
what’s, I don’t know. We have so many good ones,
well, every song has a story. You know what I mean? This is what I say. This is one of my favorite quotes,
is every song has A story. But every story doesn’t have a song. And that’s why I have a job. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: I love that. I love that. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
So every song has a story. Like, I.
I’ve never talked about this one. This. When we did need a favor, I wasn’t. This is a fun in the room story. I wasn’t sure. Like, I wasn’t as confident in it. >> Speaker 1: As I was some of the others. >> Speaker 2: Some of the other records. And Austin, who produced the record,
is in the room with me. And he’s like, dude, I’m telling you, man,
this is like, it’s a mid tempo record. You need tempo. The song is everything that you are, I’d
never done a song with any tempo at all. So I was like,
just nervous to do a tempo record. I was just like,
this just don’t feel like my core. I write pain music. I’m a ballad guy. He’s like, bubba, but
this is your message. We wrote it. Like, it’s perfect. This is you. Like, trust me. And I was like, it just. Maybe we should just slow it down. >> [LAUGH]
>> I know it’s me, but like, what if we just slow it down,
that’s more soulful. He’s like, that’s what you always do and
you ruin our songs. He’s like, just let this one be,
I was like. And even then I wasn’t fully convinced. And this is the only time my record label
has ever called me about something. Jonathan Loeb, the guy who gave me
my first chance at a record label, at a record label, calls me and
goes, him and Katie Kirk over my a. Who’s now you talking about how you earn,
like, trust in people, how trust is earned. They call and they go, I’m telling you, this will be one of
the biggest songs of your life. Just let us put it out first. And I was like, how sure of that are you? Like, it’s a big. This is my career we’re gambling. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, and it’s your heart. >> My heart, I love the song, I love
the material, I love what we wrote, but I wasn’t sure the tempo was right. And it was just me in my head,
really, you know? And they were like, just trust us. And I was like,
just know that trust is, like earned. So, like,
I’ll give you this opportunity to earn it. But this is a big opportunity, you know? Like, please, like, if this don’t work, promise me you’ll give me a second chance
at a Single, though, you know what I mean? Because sometimes you get a single
that don’t work and that’s it. You got to wait till the next album cycle. They’re not gonna spend no more money
on the second single unless you know what I mean? And he was like, you just. You trust me? I trusted you, that’s why I signed you. You trust me? That’s why you signed me. That’s why you let me sign you. And I was like, yes, sir. Done. And, boy, I ate my words. And I’ve never said that publicly until
today because I wouldn’t want nobody to think I don’t like the song. I love the song. It was so different, it scared me. Yeah, it’s like being here now. Like, I’m scared. You know what I mean? Like, it scared me. It was so different. It scared me. >> Speaker 1: Do the thing
that scares you. Eleanor Roosevelt has
a great quote every day. Do the thing that scares you. >> Speaker 2: Yep,
that’s what I’m trying to do. That’s how I darkened your door. Is.
I’m doing. I’m only on the. That scares me right now for sure. >> Speaker 2: [LAUGH]
>> I’m scared to do Kimmel, I was petrified to do Kimmel. >> Speaker 2: I bet. >> I was so nervous.
>> Total departure. >> For sure.
>> Speaker 1: You don’t know it’s gonna go. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
And even then, I don’t have. It’s kind of like this. I don’t have an athletic background. Like, I don’t have a comedic background. I have a lot of comedian friends. I have a lot of wrestling friends,
but I’m not a wrestler or a comedian. I’m a musician. You know what I’m saying? Even the Monologues. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
You’re a performer. >> Speaker 2: That is. I think this company, and
was counting on that, knowing that I’m a completely driven
[BLEEP], I’m an obsessed [BLEEP]. And.
And I. I know how to tell a story. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: You sure do. >> Speaker 2: I’m going to tell
a story on August 2nd or 3rd, whatever day they let me tell the story. >> Speaker 1: I cannot wait
to watch you at SummerSlam. >> Speaker 2: I’m telling you,
Steph, we’re going to tell a story. It’s going to be like we’re
coming to steal the show, baby. >> Speaker 1: You know what I’m saying? >> Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: I love it, I love it. >> Speaker 2: We’re Team Jelly. >> Speaker 1: Team Randy over here. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, please, baby. But you better not be the. >> Speaker 1: Well, I’m not sure. I’m not sure. >> [LAUGH]
>> Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. There Goes heel, Steph. Y’.
All always working. Always working. We got a worker here. We got a worker here, y’. All. >> Speaker 1: So
are you still without a cell phone? >> Speaker 2: Dude, Public announcement. I don’t know if I should
make this announcement. I got a cell phone last week. Finally.
>> Speaker 1: You did? >> Speaker 2: Okay, I did. >> Speaker 1: And
was it a phone or was it- >> Speaker 2: It’s actually, I got a real phone. >> Speaker 1: Okay.
>> Speaker 2: I’m not carrying it, which is half the battle
I got to do better. >> Speaker 1: About, but
I do because you threw it away. What?
Beginning June. >> No, November. >> Even [INAUDIBLE]. >> I wanted to go a whole year
was my goal and I almost made it. And I’m still not against
throwing this one out the window. >> Speaker 1: And this is not new. >> Speaker 2: I might
do it after SummerSlam. >> Speaker 1: You’ve done it before. >> Speaker 2: I do this all the time. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: I have a horrible relationship with communication. >> Speaker 1: You just get overwhelmed. >> Speaker 2: Overwhelmed. Extremely stressed. I already have an avoidant personality and I can use that phone as a great
place to get lost and avoid. >> Speaker 1: Sure. >> Speaker 2: I’m just
more present when I mean- >> Everybody. >> Speaker 1: That’s all you scroll. It’s like mindless. >> Speaker 2: My goal is if I do it right
this time, I’m going to have the phone for like phone time. Like when I’m in the car and can make
calls or like when I’m at the house or on the couch or getting ice treatment. But like when I walk into buildings or
go to do something, I leave deliberate about it. I leave it in the car. Like, I don’t. Like, my wife can call somebody that’s
with me or my daughter, you know, it’s like I just don’t never
want to get back to where it’s. It goes back to the addiction
stuff that we talked about. You know, we talked about this privately. But like,
I have such an addictive personality. My food addiction was so prevalent in my life that I will become
addicted to anything if I’m not careful. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: Is that true of work? >> Speaker 2: I think I’m a workaholic. But I think where I struggle
with that is that I don’t. I struggle to call what. What we do work. >> Speaker 1: Cuz it’s not work. >> Speaker 2: It’s not work. It’s like I’m not. >> Speaker 1: You do what you love. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
It’s like every now and then you’re obsessive. >> Speaker 1: But not unhealthily. >> Speaker 2: Exactly. Every now and then I do something
that feels like work and that’s a part of the job. Like, you know when you
have a 10 hour travel day? >> Speaker 1: Right. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, sure. Sure.
>> Speaker 2: Nothing about this conversation feels like work for
you, I’m sure. >> Speaker 1: Nope.
>> Speaker 2: If anything feels like work for you today,
it’s going to be the flight. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Does that make sense? It’s like, that’s where you’re like. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: Like,
you know what I’m saying? Like, that’s the part. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Everything, the moment you got off the plane,
until you get back on it, it’s everything you love. It’s conversation, it’s healing,
it’s helping people. >> Speaker 1: You haven’t flown with us. We do have a thing, the three of us. >> Speaker 2: What do y’ all do? >> Speaker 1: We just laugh, basically. You know, we play Switch the air. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: That’s fun. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: We play Nintendo Switch. >> Speaker 1: Okay.
>> Speaker 2: We play Mario Kart non stop. >> Speaker 1: No, we’re. We gab. Yeah.
We’re chatting. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. That’s the ones I want to hear. >> Speaker 1: What’s that? Some of those. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: That’s the story. What’s.
What’s that story? >> Speaker 1: There’s some. Some. Some good videos, too. Jackie’s turning red. Yeah. She’ll wind up telling on
herself in like 20 minutes. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: You really want to know? It’s the biggest secret ever and
you’re sworn to secrecy. And within, like. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. >> Speaker 1: It doesn’t take long. >> Speaker 2: It’s a. Proud of her, by the way. >> Speaker 1: Yes. Shout out, Jackie. Shout out to Jackie. >> Speaker 2: That’s like the story
of the day for me was Jackie. It’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. Jackie. >> Speaker 2: You’Re good.
You’re. You’re big.
Glowing, for sure. Yeah. This whole podcast has been
about being a kid again. >> Speaker 1: That’s right. >> Speaker 2: One of Steph’s life,
not lifelong, but decade plus friends. Has lost. Ms. Jackie has lost 50. 50 some pounds now. Yep, 50 some pounds. We were sharing our. She was the most honest person I’ve
ever had a conversation with about food addiction ever. Besides me. That was just like that. >> Speaker 1: She’s very genuine. >> Speaker 2: That’s also when you find,
like a real peace with it, though. It’s like when you actually are, you know,
you’re not ashamed of it anymore. >> Speaker 1: And Jackie runs
the entire makeup department for wwe. Dude, she schedules everybody. Not only is she an artist herself, but
she is in charge of the entire department. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: She has a creative kitchen. Do you have a creative kitchen? >> Speaker 2: No.
No. I like that it’s a creative. >> Speaker 1: The writers rooms. >> Speaker 2: You’re the writer’s room. Creative kitchen. That’s what I’ll call it too. I just try to stay away from kitchens now. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, that’s a good point. >> Speaker 2: I’m just always. I go the opposite way of a. A pantry is my. My biggest fear in life is a pantry style. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
Actually, Randy and
I had a whole conversation about that. Sneaking into the pantry dude. Cause I’m married to Triple H, right? And he’s always ripped and
shredded and always so disciplined. And he never, never, never cheats, never
really has a craving, never anything. And I love food, too. I really do. And so I will sneak into the pantry,
and he laughs because he’s like, why are you hiding? Well, I don’t want you
to think anything of me. It’s like chocolate covered pretzels,
like chocolate covered almonds. Whatever.
I would. It has to be some chocolate, though. >> Speaker 2: Darker regular. >> Speaker 1: Darker regular. Well, I like it all, but
dark is my favorite. >> Speaker 2: Me too. But was it always, or
did that happen to us when we got older? >> Speaker 1: I’ve always. I’ve. >> Speaker 2: It was older for me, too. I was a milk chocolate guy. >> Speaker 1: You mean in terms
of the type of chocolate? Yeah, I was a milk chocolate. >> Speaker 2: I was milk chocolate. And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere. >> Speaker 1: You were always grown up,
though, still milk chocolate. >> Speaker 2: Really?
>> Speaker 1: All right. Waiting to grow up. No, I even like white chocolate now,
which is, you know, but just a little bit. >> Speaker 2: A little bit. >> Speaker 1: Not too
much white chocolate. >> Speaker 2: It can get candle waxy. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. I like to mix it in. We get this nut tray, and there’s this
one friend of ours from a long time, and he sends us this nut tray every
Christmas, and his name is Barry. So we’re very excited for
Barry’s nuts every year. And sometimes it’s salty and
sometimes it’s sweet. They’d arrived to the office. Yeah.
We were very excited about Barry’s nuts. But I like to mix the dark chocolate with
the, like, maybe four chocolate covered, like, dark chocolate covered
almonds with one, like, white chocolate covered almond and
then, like, a salted almond. And that’s like a party in your mouth,
right? >> Speaker 2: Yeah, that’s. >> Speaker 1: We won’t talk about food. We never touched the dried fruit. No.
The dried apricots in the middle sat there. >> Speaker 2: Have y’ all you
ever ate the who chocolate bars? They’re spelled hu. >> Speaker 1: No. I’ve seen them at, like, a whole. >> Speaker 2: They’re like. I do still eat dark chocolate sometimes. And we’ll put some, like,
on some cherries at night, right? And it’s like this who chocolate. It’s only got, like, two ingredients. >> Speaker 1: That’s good. >> Speaker 2: It’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: I’m gonna have to Try that. >> Speaker 2: It’s really, really. >> Speaker 1: Once I have something,
then I’m off. I’m derailed. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, no, that’s it. I can eat a little piece of this dark
chocolate at night if I’m having, like the worst sweet tooth or something. And it’s not bad. It’s like 100 calories or something. It’s really fire. It’s a brother and sister that started
the company out of Austin, too. >> Speaker 1: A lot happening in Austin. You might be moving to Austin. >> Speaker 2: I want to go to Austin. I’m trying to get my wife down to Austin. So.
>> Speaker 1: Bad. Yeah, it is. >> Speaker 2: So have you been down there? >> Speaker 1: Well, yeah, I’ve been there,
you know, not haven’t stayed and hung out. >> Speaker 2: Have you
been mothership yet? >> Speaker 1: I haven’t yet. >> Speaker 2: It is the funniest place on. >> Speaker 1: Yeah,
I can’t wait to go any. >> Speaker 2: Night of the week. Tuesday night, random time. The best comedians in the world
are in there working. >> Speaker 1: That’s what you were saying. So special because you said it’s basically
Joe Rogan and his friends, like, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. And then the best comedians in
the world come in through the weekend. And it’s always on. >> Speaker 2: It’s always on. >> Speaker 1: And
you want to build the music mothership. >> Speaker 2: That’s my dream is
the music mothership in Nashville. Cuz songwriters, we don’t get to do it. Joe and them take the phone,
they do the yonder bags so they can really go in there and
work their material out. Like, we don’t get to
do that as songwriters. Because if I go sing a song at
a bar tonight that’s unreleased, one person’s going to film it,
they’re going. >> Speaker 1: To put on the Internet. >> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? It’s like, I don’t get to really get that. That kind of a moment,
you know, where, like, if. I wonder if we brought the. Have you ever heard of, like a. It’s called like a writer’s round, where it’s like three or four guys would
stand here, girls with microphones and guitars, and we would do what
they call a songwriter round. So imagine all three of us are lined up. I got a guitar.
You got a guitar. And I go, all right, y’. All, I wrote this song last week
with Charlie, Handsome and Earnest. And this song is called Thorns. And then I play it,
just me and the guitar. And then you go, that was great. Thank you so much. You go, all right. My name’s Stephanie McMahon. You first round. I wrote this song with such and
such and such. And such, and you tell the story about
the song, and then you play the song, and you play the song, and
we’ll do that three times a piece. It’s called a round. And it’s fun because imagine in front. >> Speaker 1: Of an audience,
or just the three of you. >> Speaker 2: We’ll do it in front of an. Well, sometimes we’ll do it
with just the three of us. If we’re pitching songs to each other,
like, what are you working on? It’s like we’re just kind of showing
each other what we’re doing. But you do it at, like,
the Bluebird Cafe or, like, places. It’s like, you know,
a couple hundred people, small, intimate, listening room kind of vibes. A place called the Listening Room. But, you know, people got phones,
and it’s the songwriters singing all the hits they wrote, but they don’t
get to work out songs very much. Or if they do,
they don’t get to work it out as much. It’s like giving away the song. You can’t give away the song
because of the phones. I was like, if we did the music. Mothership. And we locked phones up
the same way Joe did. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Where guys
could feel comfortable. Like, if Hardy felt comfortable being able
to come in here and test out a record on a Tuesday night and do a writer’s
round and play two of his hits. And on the third song, go,
yo, I wrote this yesterday. I don’t know how I feel about it yet. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: And they’ll let you know. Yeah, yeah. >> Speaker 2: But you, like. I love that y’ all say it all the time. Y’ all have a live demographic test
every Monday and every Friday, so it’s. >> Speaker 1: Interesting because a lot
of our talent, and understandably so, but they can get very lost in social media and
what social media is saying, and oftentimes social is negative
because it can be very critical. And I think for
whatever reason, that happens. But one of the things that I always
say anyway, just what I think. My perspective is, as long as the live
audience is reacting to you the way you want them to, that’s what you
have to gauge your success off of. Because there is nothing
like that live audience. And if they’re not into it,
they’ll let you know for sure. And if it’s cheering, awesome. If it’s booing, awesome. If they’re quiet and it’s not supposed
to be quiet, that’s a problem. >> That’s a problem. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, but that live
reaction, the people in the room, that makes so
much sense to be able to do that. >> Speaker 2: And comedians get it,
wrestlers get it. They can go try moves and
get a reaction in the house and go, okay, I’m bringing that to the,
you know, I’m going to work. You know, like songwriters, we have to go live in our own
little weird bubble of a head. I have to record an entire body of work,
convince myself it’s the best body of work I’ve ever done, and
then put it out and go, yeah, it’s crazy. It’s a scary thing, you know what I mean? It’s like-
>> Your heart and soul and blood, sweat and-
>> [INAUDIBLE] My story, my family is so personal. >> Tears go into that album. >> [INAUDIBLE] My story,
my family is so personal. I have no way to get any kind of
reaction to know if I’m onto something. Even then, it’s like,
you got to be careful. I can’t go play it for all my friends cuz
most of them are gonna yes me to death. >> Right.
>> Or they’re not gonna or you play it for the wrong friend,
they give you an opinion, and sometimes they don’t know enough about
music for you to accept their opinion. And you can a good song. >> Right.
>> You know what I mean? Just cuz your home is like, it ain’t my
cup of tea, and you’re like, it sucks. >> Speaker 1: Right?
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? The song doesn’t suck. He just didn’t like the tempo. He’s such a, you know, a regular listener. It could have been the tempo
that threw him off. >> Speaker 1: Right? >> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Where it’s like,
he could just not like me. Like, when I was scared of a certain
tempo, he could just be a not a tempo guy. You know what I mean? When you get to play it in front of people
and you’re doing it with all of us playing songs, I have this idea that, like, you
get three, four songs deep into a writer’s round, you start listening and
caring if the song’s good or not. You start Having an opinion. Kind of quick, you start going, yeah, that wasn’t as good as their
last song they sung, you know? And that’s what I love about it. I also love the idea of the people who
are writing these songs getting to stand beside and with the artists they
wrote it with or for, and do it together. And if the artist felt safe coming
in there, like, I know Morgan. You know, Morgan can’t lead a house
without getting videoed the whole way somewhere to and from somewhere. I could walk Morgan in the back door and
tell him, hey, man, Ernest is doing a songwriter session on Tuesday coming and
sing Flower Shouts with him. There’s not a camera in the building. Morgan’s not thinking twice. >> Speaker 1: Right. >> Speaker 2: Morgan still loves that
he came up doing songwriter rounds. You know what I mean?
Like, we all have a. All of us want them, we love them. Like, I love the arenas. I love the big shows, but nothing I
love more than putting 200 people and sitting them in a chair and
me sitting on a bar stool and going, y’ all think this is cool? Or am I tripping? You know what I’m saying? Like, this made me cry. Am I tripping? Is it good?
You know what I’m saying? It’s like, you know, I don’t know. It’s the intimacy, it’s the singing. It’s the same thing with comedy shows. Like, you’ve seen Tony
in a small environment. You go see him at a big one,
it’s a great show. But you see Tony in that club
with 200 people in Austin, Texas. >> Speaker 1: Well, and
to your point, music performances, I always love the smaller,
more intimate setting. It’s just more fun. You can feel it better, you know,
than the big live stadium show, which is still a great experience,
but it’s different. >> Speaker 2: I’ve.
I’ve come to say I’ve done a bunch of the stadiums. I’ve always opened them, and I would love
to headline some, because that’s a dream. But arenas, to me, are perfect in
the sense of if I set my staging right, I can feel like we’re all really close. I can still see the three hundreds and
make eye contact. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Like, I can still. I might not be able to fully read it,
but I can still see that sign in310. You know what I mean? Like, I can still acknowledge the effort. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? I can still bring us to a point that we’re
all sitting together on this stage at some point, cuz I gotta have a moment in the
show where we’re all just sitting around a campfire together, just having a talk. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: There has to be this moment, and it has to happen,
the show has to be an arc. >> Speaker 1: You have to
take the audience on a ride. >> Speaker 2: I have to
take them on a ride. >> Speaker 1: And
it’s one of those things, too. It’s like with the promo. If you just yell the entire time you’re
doing a promo, people are going to start tuning it out just subconsciously because,
you know, you’re just yelling. It’s just all one. One level.
>> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: But if you’re. If you utilize that intonation and
you yell at some point, but then you bring it down and
you’re quiet at another point, or you take a long pause or you switch it up,
you’re taking people on a little ride, and then they listen differently,
it listens differently. >> Speaker 2: And you got to know how to
get them out of it at the right time. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: It’s a big part of
what we do is like, at some point, I got to put you in the box with me. We gotta get in here and
get really close and get really deep. But if I keep you in this box too long,
I’ll bum the night out. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, I gotta get
us out of the box at some point, we gotta pop out of this thing together. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Like, that’s a big part of the game
you have to play up there of, like, trying to make sure that
you create because, like, if it’s too much of a box moment,
everybody leaves. Like, man, I just. Yeah, [LAUGH]. >> I was sad. >> [LAUGH] Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: [LAUGH] You know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: Why do I feel so
bad about myself? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> [LAUGH] >> If I get you out of it the right way, and what I tell people is, I used to want people leaving
my show feeling really good. Now I want people leaving my show,
having conversations and talking. I want them to feel really good,
too, I don’t wanna feel bad, but I want them to think
whatever that feeling is. You know what I mean? I don’t even know what a feeling
associated with thinking. You know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 1: Right.
>> Speaker 2: But, like, I want people leaving. Like, provocative. Yeah.
I want people provocative. I want people to leave and go. You ever, like, leave the movie theater
and couldn’t wait to get out and talk to your spouse about the movie? Like, those are the best movies. When you’re like, you can’t. >> Speaker 1: When people
used to go to the Movies. >> Speaker 2: Yes.
Right? Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Or even when you’re sitting
in bed and the movie’s so good, you don’t just turn it off and go, that was cool,
and go to sleep when you’re just like, yo. >> Wired.
>> Speaker 2: Or like, when you and your partner are watching a movie and
y’ all stop it to talk about shit, when you gotta hit the pause,
like, no way [BLEEP] way right. You know what I mean? Like, those kind of moments, like,
I want people leaving my show like that. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? I want him leaving,
that was the best movie I’ve ever seen. This part was awesome. What’d you think of that part? >> Speaker 1: And I wanna see-
>> Speaker 2: This was my favorite part. What was this? What do you think? It’s all like,
what do you think he’ll do next? You know what I mean? It’s like, that’s the goal in that world. And I’m finding the parallels
of all this in here. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: I’ve also had so much fun with these young kids where
I’ve been joking with Stacks and being the two that get
stuck with me the most. I’m like, y’ all keep teaching
me how to wrestle, and I’m gonna teach y’ all how to work,
you know what I mean? Because I can see what y’ all
are struggling with the most in here. It’s finding yourself. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know what I mean? Like, let me get some more time
around you, find out who you are, you know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> We’ll learn how to make
that transform into that. You know what I mean? I can.
I can take who you are and turn into the performer
you want to be if you. It’s like songwriting. This is an artist thing we talked about. This is why we keep going back to this
conversation with the wrestling and the songwriter stuff was
they’re like songwriters to me, in the aspect of they’re all here chasing
their dream and they’re getting a little bit of money to do it until they can get
bigger money if they do it really good. Right.
It’s the same exact concept. The twist is they also are like,
the artist, where all songwriters aren’t artists and
all artists aren’t songwriters. Right. As an artist,
I then have to take this music I wrote. As a songwriter,
I have to write a great song. Then I have to, as an artist,
I have to take this song and figure out a way to make
it digestible to people. Right.
And I gotta find a way to make
people connect with it. My vocals on it alone always isn’t enough. 50,000 songs a week get
uploaded to Spotify. That’s a lot of vocals on nice songs
getting uploaded, you know what I mean? It’s conviction,
it’s passion, it’s honesty. You know what I mean? It’s connectivity. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: It’s that people connect with something broader
than just the music. And when they connect with something
broader than just the music, they’ll give you a chance to miss, too. >> Speaker 1: Sure.
>> Speaker 2: They’ll be patient with you. With you.
MGK’s got a great example of this. Like his fans, which he’s never missed. But his fans have been patient
with him to follow him. So when mgk, like, I so
admire him and his art. One as a person too. But my boy, my boy. But like as an artist, he is so
good at being like, I’m out. He like will take years
off of album cycles. I never take that much time off writing. And he’ll do it like, nah. I got to think about what this next. What my next move is,
what’s my next sound like, what. He’s always looking to innovate, create
and evolve and what’s the ne I do too, but I do it very, very slowly and
casually and just kind of. >> Speaker 2: Had a little tempo here and
there. >> Speaker 1: Little tempo here and there. You know what I’m talking about? >> Speaker 2: You know my style. >> Speaker 1: And.
And MGK is like, nope, complete left turn. You know what I’m saying? Like we’re going to go
from 75 beats per minute, 808 rap beats to 120 beat
per minute pop punk music. And fearlessly does it. Like when he has a conviction to do it,
he doesn’t care. You know what I mean? And not all artists have that. You know what I mean? Not all. That is a rare trait that an artist. >> Speaker 2: That’s a true difference
of an artist and a songwriter. >> Speaker 1: 100%. Yes, 100%. And even the career of like when your
fans connect with you outside of just the music, they’re willing to give
you grace to try something different. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Where it’s like, I agree there’s a lot of artists
that are stuck in that same rut. They can’t try nothing
different because their fan, the few fans they have
won’t allow them to. Because they’re only here for this sort of
sound because they never connected to them outside of the sound of the music. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
You know, Well, I think it makes them even more relatable because yeah,
they’re going to make mistakes. Right.
But if they’re with you, they’re with you and they. It almost then makes them connect with you
even more because you’re human, right. You’re just not. Success after success after success. If there’s a blip in there that isn’t
what you want it to be, but they’re still with you and they let you know and
then you come out on the other side. That’s amazing. And they’re a part of that journey
with you and they feel that journey. >> Speaker 1: Right and
they’ll grow with you. Like, we were talking about
Megan Maroney off camera, about just the rock star that she’s
becoming and how I parallel to, like, early Taylor Swift career and,
like, nobody will ever be Taylor. Taylor is truly the goat. We said this off camera. She’s a once in a lifetime. I mean, will never be done. The biggest artist ever. Ever bigger than the Beatles. Like, the biggest artist ever. Undeniable, unarguable. Like, take all that. Taylor Swift’s not
the great away from here. She’s the best. But the way Megan’s connecting with
young girls reminds me of how Meg. How Taylor connected with young girls and
then how they grew with Taylor. So when Taylor would go through
a heartbreak, they would go through that heartbreak because their life
was aligned at that same time. Like, we’re going to watch this
happen with Megan the next 10 years. Like, I can’t. The music’s the big part of this. But I know Megan’s
a songwriting son of a bitch. You know what I’m saying? So it’s like, she’s gonna be great. So it’s like, as long as Megan Maroney
keeps writing those kind of songs and just telling her authentic
truth at the moment. You know what I mean? Cause that’s what Taylor did. Taylor was just always true
to who she was in the moment. It was just like,
this is what I’m going through. What else would I write my album about? You know what I’m saying? It’s like, what are y’ all talking about? You know, it just made so much sense. Megan’s in that same. And that’s what I love about our art,
is that there’s no same point of entry. Like, everybody kind of has their own. It’s all similar, but it all feels
different because it has its unique ways. And I see that with the wrestlers. It’s all like the same vibe because
it’s all chasing a similar dream. But there’s a thousand points of entry. Every one of these guys has a different
way they think of who they are as a performer or what their gimmick is. Everybody has a different
what they will or won’t do. You know what I mean? How they go about it. Just like I can tell you,
artists that don’t write their songs, artists that do write their songs,
artists that won’t write with writers. Artists who’s never wrote with a writer
artists that only write with writers, you know. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Thousand ways to skin a cat. >> Speaker 2: Amen. And I still think it’s crazy that you
sat here to say as Jelly Roll, that you hoped you would be big enough to be able
to get that celeb entrance into wwe? No. Right.
We’re sitting here with Jelly Roll. Like, did he say? >> Speaker 2: This is kind
of incredible for us. We were so excited for this interview. >> Speaker 1: Like I said,
I watched the pod. I loved it.
>> Speaker 2: Well, thank you. Thank you. But one of the things that we were
talking about is how you give back, not only in your concerts, not only in
everything you do, but I was reading, and we have different stories, but
you go to prisons and juvie centers and you speak to the kids and you play
cards with them before your shows. Can you talk a little bit about that and
how you’re inspiring hope in people who, you know,
maybe don’t feel like they have any? I never. I just. I came from a place where not
a lot of people showed up for me. >> Speaker 2: Right. >> Speaker 1: And. And I don’t mean that, like,
in a super, like, sad way. Like, in a real way. Like, you know, like, not a lot. >> Speaker 2: Of love in your life. >> Speaker 1: No, a lot of love in
the house, but right outside of the house. It wasn’t a lot of people
that showed up for me. Like, I wasn’t a super popular kid. My parents never made it to my
little league football games. I’m not crying about it, but it’s like. It’s just the reality of, like, I just
didn’t have a lot of people show up for me, you know, I still. I have childhood trauma that
I projected on my daughter. I’ve talked about openly about birthdays. I have a real birthday trauma from having
birthday parties that nobody came to. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: I’m so sorry. That’s awful. >> Speaker 1: It’s the worst feeling ever. Do it early. You give the whole class an RSVP and
everybody says they’re coming, but nobody actually shows. >> Speaker 2: That’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: And it’s her first. It’s the worst fear as a parent. I had to live it. And since then, I was like,
I’ve almost kept cutting her birthday. And I started making her birthdays
about me because I hated them so much. I hated her doing them. Like, I just projected so
much negativity over the years. And then she had a sweet 16 and
we did a big blowout, and I. Dude, I think I got a fucking ulcer. So stressed out. I’ve been more stressed about her
little sweet 16 than anything. And it was awesome. >> Speaker 2: Good.
>> Speaker 1: Hundred kids showed up. I mean, it was a big hit,
you know, But I was just so. But I just. I come from a place where not
a lot of people showed up for me. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: And I remember especially
being incarcerated and, like, you know, I had, like, my dad came to see me. You know, I love my mama to death. My mother never came to see me in jail. My mother never made it to a court date. You know what I mean? This isn’t on her. Now, I was a criminal. Maybe she didn’t come see me. I need to learn that lesson. That’s not.
>> Speaker 2: But like, her own demons, right? >> Speaker 1: She had her own demons, too. And I respect. This is no woe. People have a way worse story. >> Speaker 1: This is my story. I want your story. Let me tell my story. And it made me want to show up for
people, like, as soon as I got in a situation to start,
like, showing up for people. Like, it makes you want to show up for
people like you, because you know what it’s like to
not have nobody show up for you. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: So now it’s like when I’m
sitting, I’m at an arena a mile and a half away from the Minneapolis jail,
why would we not go over here and play the guitar and sing for these guys? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? Like, nobody’s showing up for them. Like, why would we not
go to the local rehab? Why would we not go to
the local homeless shelter? Like, this is where Jesus would go. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? It goes back to my faith kind of. You know what I mean is, like, this is. Jesus said, you did. You did all of this for the least. So you did it for me,
you know what I mean? When.
When Jesus said thank you. You know,
you visited me while I was in jail. You fed me when I was poor. They said,
we didn’t do any of that for you. He said you did it for the least, though. So you did it for me. You know what I mean? Like, that was the. That’s the real vibe. Yeah.
This is us at a juvenile right here. This is Pendleton in Indiana. Super fat jelly roll right there. By the way, this. This denim, that was a 6x denim, and
this one right here is probably like a 2. So proud of that. >> Speaker 2: That’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: Those kids were great, man. We go to homeless shelters,
rehabs, jails, juveniles. We just try to show up for people, man. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 3: And I saw online you. You after the floods in Texas, that. >> Speaker 1: Was a fake news story. >> Speaker 2: It was. >> Speaker 1: It was a fake news story. That was.
That was one of. I know it was real. It was so much of a fake news story. They had to do a correction on,
like, a hoax. It was an AI story, really. >> Speaker 3: It’s believable. >> Speaker 2: It’s believable
because of who you are. >> Speaker 1: Because I do so much. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: And the shitty part of that now is that now
these stories come out every now and then that are like crazy stories
that you’re like, I wish, but we do not have that kind of money. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. >> Speaker 3: And not even the money. It was just like, how. >> Speaker 2: Actually the whole thing
was that it wasn’t about the money. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: You know. >> Speaker 1: That was.
That one. They had one that said, I donated. >> Speaker 2: Like, 50 million,
25 million, I said. >> Speaker 1: And I was like, yeah, yeah. It’s like, first of all,
I don’t know that I would. >> Speaker 2: I was like, my God. >> Speaker 1: If I had $25 million,
frankly, I’m not sure I would be here. I might be at a ranch in Montana
smoking a big old hooter, you know? >> Speaker 3: I mean, and
it speaks to who you are that, I mean, people would believe,
because you do show up. Like you were saying, why wouldn’t you? >> Speaker 1: But people.
>> Speaker 3: People aren’t, you know, they don’t need to do that. You’re making a point to give back,
which is. It’s just so powerful to see. >> Speaker 1: That’s it.
You just show up for people, man. It’s just do it. Do it all we can. I mean, hospitals,
children’s centers, cancer. I mean, we go everywhere. I mean, we try to every city almost. We try to make some sort of
a stopping impression and let people know what’s going. I don’t know.
Just spread the love, like. >> Speaker 2: That’s right. >> Speaker 1: I just remember how much,
like, we got excited when the ice
cream truck came to me. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? Like, does that make sense? Like that. That was like, somebody cares to this day,
they’re coming to take our dollar. You know what I’m saying? It’s like ice cream. Yeah.
We were excited. Yeah. >> Speaker 2: My favorite. >> Speaker 1: We were excited about that. So it’s like. I know.
I was. When I was in jail,
I was excited about sack lunches. If they had a banana in my sack lunches,
like, we got a banana. I had a fresh fruit in a year. What was the food like? >> Speaker 1: Shitty. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. >> Speaker 1: You got to eat shit and
like, the taste of it. Ain’t that what y’ all sandwich? Yeah, yeah, but it’s shitty. >> Speaker 2: But you do get. Every now and then you get a bag lunch. Or is it. >> Speaker 1: You get like a bag lunch,
it’s always a surprise. >> Speaker 2: Okay. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, you get. You jail comes with three hots in a cot. >> Speaker 2: Okay. >> Speaker 1: That’s what they
promise you in the county jail. They’re gonna feed you three hot
meals a day, five days a week. You get a cold lunch two days a week, which is your stack
lunches on the weekends. Every jail is different, obviously, but. And then you get. You get a cot, sleep in. But the food’s like. Imagine the school lunch, but not good. You know what I mean? And school lunch wasn’t great. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. >> Speaker 1: But it’s like,
imagine like a really shitty school lunch. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Like Salisbury steak. >> Speaker 2: The mystery meat. >> Speaker 1: The mystery meat. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
The Salisbury steak is greenish. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
We would call. We had a breakfast. We’d call shit on a shingle. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? >> Speaker 3: But
it was like my grandfather. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
It just wasn’t. >> Speaker 3: Always talk
about that in the Navy. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
Yeah. Shit on a shingle. Yeah. Similar. I have learned the parallels
of the military and jail. Scare me. Like, when you meet people who
have done real military time and done real prison time, they hit it off. >> Speaker 2: Really?
>> Speaker 1: No, it’s crazy, dude. It’s very similar. >> Speaker 2: Like, both of them have
lived because of the systematic. >> Speaker 1: Just very systematic. Just very structured,
very siloed, very In a silo. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: You learned any lessons in. >> Speaker 1: In prison, man,
I thank God I went to jail. Yeah, Steph, I thank God I. I regret everybody that I hurt,
but I don’t. I am honestly think that my path. >> Speaker 2: Was meant
to be the way it was. I think God knew. I always say. I used to say that music changed my life,
but I realize now that God changed my life. He just knew music was the only thing
that would get me to listen to him, you know what I mean? And I think that. That when I went my way,
he just had to keep sitting me down and try to point me back to the music. When I finally went towards the music,
it was. I went his way, and
it’s just been all smooth ever since. >> Speaker 2: Then what is
it about Fire and rain? What is it about the lyrics or the song? >> Speaker 1: Ooh. I think about my father and
my mother telling me the story about it. Just like one of them consummate songs. And like, I’m a super lyric guy. Like, really, really love lyrics. Nuance of lyrics. I love open for
interpretation, storytelling. Like the idea that you can listen to this
song and feel it in such a deep rooted way but not be a hundred percent
sure what he’s talking about. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: But you know what it. >> Speaker 2: What you’re talking about,
right? Yeah. Because it means something
different to everyone. >> Speaker 1: And that is the best song. Stephanie is like, when I can. I don’t.
I don’t. I had.
I did this my first album when I got with the label and
I quit doing it because I hated it. They would do these like interviews where
they want you to explain song lyrics. And I don’t believe in
explaining art at all. I don’t think art deserves
an explanation or needs one. I think as soon as you start explaining
art, you take away from the art. Like, this is open for interpretation. Like, I don’t. That’s why I defend comedians when
they say wild jokes is like, yo, they’re just trying to find fun here. Sometimes they’re going to miss. But like,
they don’t have to explain that to nobody. This is their art. You know what I mean? Like, was it Julius that was
the Pope when Michelangelo was. Was it Julius? Will you check that for me right quick so
I don’t tell a story wrong because. >> Speaker 2: But
notice he didn’t look at us. >> Speaker 1: Sorry, y’ all didn’t
have a computer in front of you. I just looked straight over at
what I would consider if this was Joe Rogan podcast. Like, Jamie, could you pull up. But I believe it was Pope Julius. The second maybe. And Michelangelo, there’s an old story and this is
parallel to the question a little bit. He walks out and he goes, yeah,
Pope Julius second walks out of. Michelangelo is chiseling away. He hears him chiseling away at a concrete. Have y’ all heard this story? >> Speaker 2: I’m not sure. >> Speaker 1: And he goes out and
he goes, why are you. Was like the middle of the night or
something. He’s like, why are you doing
this in the middle of the night? Take a break. Why are you working so hard? And he turns around and he goes,
there’s an angel imprisoned in here. Can’t you see? I must set him free. >> Speaker 2: Wow. >> Speaker 1: Then crazy plot twist,
right? >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: And it’s like to me, that’s wow. What?
>> Speaker 2: Art is wow. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? It’s seen different, you know? >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: I like,
open for interpretation. So Fire and Rain to me is. I feel like that was one of
James’s Michelangelo moments, where he’s sitting there with that
guitar like, there’s an angel in here. Can you not see he’s in prison? And then you hear. And it’s like even. It just starts so abstract. >> Speaker 2: Just yesterday morning,
my God, Jelly was talking about you. >> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? And I’m like, suzanne,
the plans ain’t made Put an end to you. You’re instantly like, who is Suzanne? I remember being a kid going,
who is Suzanne? There’s a character already here. You’re back to storytelling. I’m immediately. And she never comes back around,
by the way. You don’t see her again, you know? And then when you. Have y’ all ever went down
the wormhole about this song? >> Speaker 2: I have not. >> Speaker 1: It’s not as fun to go down
now because he finally did an interview, like, in the last 10 years, where he was
kind of talked a little bit about what it wasn’t about, but not as much what it was. But they thought that that last verse,
whenever he said, I’ve been walking my mind to an easy time My back turns to the
sun Lord knows when the cold wind blows It’ll turn your head around well, hours of
time on the telephone lines to talk about things to come Sweet dreams and flying
machines and pieces on the ground wow. And if you want to look. This up for me.
Right quick. To make sure I’m not wrong. There was a plane crash around that era. >> Speaker 2: Yes. >> It was his girlfriend at the time. Right.
That’s who Suzanne was. But there was a plane crash with
a bunch of musicians in it that had. Because the third verse but
he said it wasn’t about that later. He debunked it, but forever we thought he
talked to third verse about whoever that band was in the 70s. It wasn’t Jim Croce. No.
Wasn’t Skinner crass in the 70s and so did Croce. A lot of crasses. Croce died in the 70s, too. That’s it. That’s what they were talking about. It was the day the music died. That’s it, that’s what it,
yeah, that’s what they call, I got goosebumps right there, I’m sorry. The Buddy Holly day, and they call and
they said it was about that. Cuz he said hours of time on the telephone
lines to talk about things to come, Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
talking about all the dreams that died. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? Like, we believed in our heart. And that’s what’s so fun about music. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Is that you listen and like Undertaker. Greatest gimmick in wrestling history. Period. Right.
The most fearful everything about it. Because you would. You could create storylines within him
without him even necessarily being real. You know what I mean? Like, so when he had a brother named Kane,
it was so believable. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Because the pallbearer figure was already so hard to figure
out and what their relationship was. So you had to. You know, y’ all were so good at
not blowing that story at first, so you just had to kind of watch and
figure it out. So you speculated. And that’s what made Fire and
Rain special to me, was like. It was a song. I also love when people do it
the opposite way of how I do it. I write open for interpretation,
but not as clear. I’m definitely more of
a storytelling more of like a. I can write more poetic, but
I prefer to just capture a feeling. I also prefer to promote music with
communication and talking and just being, you know, just. Just kind of being an orator. Just like, talking. So, like, I’m a big weekend fan. Because he does it the opposite way. He never does interviews
at all about anything. He’s never explained himself
to anybody about anything. He’s my favorite artist
of this generation. It couldn’t be more opposite
than the way I’m like. I’ll tell you my whole childhood. Saggy skin today. You know what I mean? It’s like.
And this guy’s like, I’m not even going to tell you
my government name until later. >> Speaker 1: [LAUGH]
>> You know what I’m saying? >> Speaker 2: I’m gonna be the weekend. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, I’m gonna be
later in life when I’m finally like, just call me Abel. You know what I’m saying? But James was that,
Dylan loved him for the same reason. Croce. Another one.
The 70s was my era. I just love 70s. You’re 70 music fan? >> Speaker 2: I am not as much a 70s
music fan, but I was born in the 70s. >> Speaker 1: Do you know who I’m
culturing on music right now? Kevin Owen. When he went under surgery, I was like,
hey, man, this is going to sound corny, but, like, can I send you a playlist? You’re going to be trying
to kill some time. He was like, dude, please. And I was like, what are you least
cultured in outlaw country music or Southern rock and roll? And I was just guessing
it’d be one of the two. I was right. He was like, both. >> [LAUGH]
>> So I put him together
a Southern rock playlist. >> Speaker 2: That’s cool. >> Speaker 1: We’re
fixing to introduce him. >> Speaker 2: I love Southern rock. >> Speaker 1: He’s gonna learn
about Lynyrd Skynyrd here. >> Yeah. What got you into Southern rock? Gosh, you’re an east coast woman. Did you go to Boston College? >> Speaker 2: I went to Boston University,
but both my parents are from North Carolina, and my grandmother was a
really big, you know, Southern music fan. But I grew up with Motown. I grew up with really everything. But Motown is primarily what I love. >> Speaker 1: My mom loved Motown, too. >> Speaker 2: I mean, I’d be cooking in
the kitchen with my mom and just blasting Motown and dancing in the kitchen, and
I just have some of the best memories. >> Speaker 1: What are some of
your favorite Motown records? >> Speaker 2: My God.
Well, I love Otis. I love Otis Redding. I mean,
I think he is my favorite artists ever. I used to sing sitting on
the dock of the bay to hear me. >> Speaker 1: Do it on Howard Stern. >> Speaker 2: No, I haven’t heard that. >> You’d love it, I think you-
>> Speaker 2: I think I would love it. >> Speaker 1: Check it out sometime,
I did it on Howard Stern, we covered. >> Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: It’s real fun. Yeah, it’s. I love Otis. >> Speaker 2: I’m sorry.
I didn’t hear it. >> Speaker 1: No, no, it’s fun. It’s fun.
We did Otis. We listen to a lot of Motown and
70s music. When I’m writing because I don’t
want to listen to nothing current to be influenced by it. So we were literally listening to
Ain’t no Mountain High Enough. >> Speaker 2: I was just
thinking about that. Yeah. Yeah.
I created an Ain’t no Mountain High Enough channel. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: Actually. Serious?
Yeah. It’s awesome. >> Speaker 1: My wife took me to, like,
they had a Motown night at the Opera House in Nashville a few years ago, and
it was one of the best date nights. I bet they just sung old
classic Motown records. >> Speaker 2: So good.
>> Speaker 1: We just stood up. >> Speaker 2: And I mean,
Temptations, I mean everything. >> My God, everything. And I love Marvin Gaye. >> Yes. >> And Aretha. >> Yes.
>> I mean, I had the chance to meet Aretha. >> Speaker 1: Goodness. >> Speaker 2: Well, she did WrestleMania
and then she did early WrestleMania and then at the Silverdome. What’s the name of the song she sang? >> Speaker 2: She sang
America the Beautiful. >> Speaker 1: No way. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
Yeah. She opened. And that was when we broke
the indoor attendance record, which fans all over the place debunk. But as I remember it, we did at the time. It was at the. Now Silverdome doesn’t exist anymore. >> Speaker 1: Yes.
>> Speaker 2: Over 93,000. >> Speaker 1: Yes.
>> Speaker 2: And they say. You counted every person in the building? Yeah, sure.
Okay, fine. However we counted them. >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> Speaker 2: What are you? Still-
>> Speaker 1: Am I not supposed to, we put 90,000. I want credit for everybody I put in
the building, what are you talking about? >> Speaker 2: It looked
like a small city in there. Because I was, you know,
I was a kid watching. And it was amazing. It was amazing. And then I had the. The honor of meeting Aretha. She did something with us in a show,
you know, much later when I was actually working,
you know, for the company. And she was so cool. I mean, and I had so
much respect for her anyway, but just to actually have
the chance to shake her hand. And she didn’t disappoint. You know, she wasn’t one of those
heroes that you meet and you’re, like, upset about it. She over delivered and her kindness and
just her energy and who she was. But let me see if my daughter. >> Speaker 1: Please, I wanna hear some. >> Speaker 2: I have to,
I have to see if she actually sent it. >> Speaker 1: Yeah,
we talked about that so long. >> Speaker 2: I’ll add it to my list. Okay.
Here you go. If you show it to anyone, tell them the
phone doesn’t pick up my voice the best. >> Speaker 1: She talks
like a singer already. [MUSIC] >> Speaker 1: Ooh. >> Speaker 2: So good. >> Speaker 1: God. >> Stop it there she suffered. >> Speaker 1: She’s good, so good. >> Speaker 2: Almost 15. >> Speaker 1: Almost.
When did she turn 15? >> Speaker 2: In August. >> Speaker 1: Dude, that’s incredible. >> Speaker 2: Thank you, God. >> Speaker 1: That is so good. >> Speaker 2: I’m so proud of her. >> Speaker 1: What a big song for
her to sing, too. >> Speaker 2: She just picks the. >> Speaker 1: That’s bold singing, Molly. >> Speaker 1: [LAUGH]
>> Go, girl, go, I won’t even sit down. >> Speaker 2: That song,
though, that’s a great song. >> Speaker 1: No, it’s a good one of the, Jesse Alexander was a writer on that song,
and it was the song that changed her life. >> Speaker 2: Really? >> Speaker 1: Imagine that
being your first hit. So next time y’ all ever come to
Nashville, I introduce her to Jesse. >> Speaker 2: Wow. That would be amazing. That would be amazing. >> Speaker 1: It’s a Nashville girl,
real fun. She loved what she loved,
she She’s based out of Nashville. >> Speaker 2: Well, Jelly-
>> She’s a great voice, man. >> Thank you, thank you. >> Speaker 1: I mean, I’m sure.
I see you are. I’m not telling you how to parent,
but, like- >> Speaker 2: No, no, I- >> My voice- >> Speaker 2: Give me advice on how to help her, cuz I don’t know what to do. >> Speaker 1: I wasn’t even pitchy
at that age, I was in the wrong key. You know what I mean? Like, that is like. >> Speaker 2: It’s the thing
that you feel when she sings and it moves the entire audience. >> Speaker 1: Yeah. >> Speaker 2: Like,
that’s what I always notice. Right.
Is not only how I feel, because, of course, I’m her mom. Right.
So I’m gonna cry, and I’m gonna be proud, cuz I just am, but it’s the way it
impacts everyone else in the room. It’s just very powerful. >> Speaker 1: Has she showed
any love in an instrument yet? >> Speaker 2: She plays piano a bit. >> Speaker 1: Great.
>> Speaker 2: But she’s very musically inclined. She could play the drums, but
she then never, you know, she got. I find she’s a little bit lazy
because she’s good at it, you know? And so I’ve told her the other day,
because my middle daughter plays tackle football, oldest daughter plays softball,
and they’re, like, overly dedicated. And I mean, just constantly,
every waking minute. My oldest is working three jobs,
coaching softball. She’s playing softball in her
last year of eligibility. She’s doing as much as she can. And then same with my middle daughter,
working with other coaches. She’s constantly playing football. She’s constantly doing everything she can. And I said. I said, vaughn, if that’s what you
want to do, if you really want to be a musician and a performer,
you have to be living and breathing this. It has to be everything for you, you know? So.
She’s got a- >> A teller, what I said is real. It ain’t what we do. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: It’s who we are. >> Speaker 2: It’s who we are. I love that. >> Musicians are different, man. >> Speaker 2: It’s not what we do. It’s who we are, not what we do. >> Speaker 1: It’s not,
and especially musicians, I can’t apply that to any other music. >> Speaker 2: No, no, I think-
>> [INAUDIBLE] My field. >> You absolutely can. >> Speaker 1: It’s not what we do, man. I don’t.
I don’t go when somebody’s like, you’re gonna go play a show. So I don’t play shows, I do shows. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: That’s what I do. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: Yeah, that’s. >> Speaker 1: It’s play sounds like I’m,
you know what I mean? We’ll play like, I’m not, we do shows. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: Rock. You know what I’m saying? Yeah.
We live this like. We live the music, it’s the fun,
that’s what I love about here. The coaches see it every day of me now
when they’re like, where are you going? I know where I’m going, going straight to
the studio, what are you talking about. I’m gonna put an ice pack on
my shoulder and write a song. You know what I mean? She’s got a good voice, man. >> Thank you.
>> 14 singing to her camera like that, that’s special, man. >> Speaker 2: Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Please encourage her. >> Speaker 2: Thank you.
I will. >> Speaker 1: I’ll see her at SummerSlam? >> You will. >> Bring her back and
let her spend a few minutes with me and just kinda let me breathe in her ear. >> Speaker 2: I will.
>> Speaker 1: It’s a little different. I’ve even learned this
with my own daughter. It’s like she’s kind of the same way. She wrote a few songs with me,
plays the guitar a little bit, and she was naturally good at it. So she just kind of, like, got it. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: It’s like, I know. You don’t got it, though. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: You know what I mean? You got to really go, but
she just naturally was so kinda got it. And then I was like, you got to
write more if you want to do this. And she just wasn’t listening to me. >> Speaker 2: Right.
>> Speaker 1: But then Jesse. >> Speaker 2: Well, and
it’s you telling her. >> Speaker 1: Exactly. >> Right.
>> Speaker 1: Then Jesse Joe Dylan, my homegirl that’s just won
ACM Songwriter of the Year and was nominated for Songwriter of
the Year for the last two Grammys. It takes her under her wing and
is instantly like, girl, you gotta write more. >> Speaker 2: Bailey’s writing,
and now she’s like, okay. >> Speaker 1: You know what I’m saying? You feel me? It’s like.
You know what I mean? >> Speaker 2: So it’s so fun because it’s
different hearing it from somebody else. >> Speaker 1: It’s different when
it comes from somebody else, especially when it’s in the field. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Too, cuz I’m in the field, but Bayley’s still like, I’m Dad. >> Speaker 2: Yeah, of course. >> Speaker 1: This is one
more thing I’m griping about. It’s no different than you got to
clean your room, brush your teeth. That’s how it sounds. >> Right.
>> Speaker 1: Clean your room, brush your teeth,
write songs, it just falls. >> [LAUGH]
>> You know what I’m saying of things I’m bitching about but when it comes from
another peer that’s in the space, cuz if I was a young songwriter,
Jesse Joe Dillon is like, if I was a young songwriting girl,
Jesse Joe Dillon’s a girl I’d want to be. You know what I mean? >> Speaker 1: Yeah.
>> If I was a young songwriting dude, I’d wanna be Ernest or
Charlie Hansen, you know what I mean? Or John Byron. Like, these are Ashley Gurley,
these kind of characters. Like, if I was a young female songwriter,
I want to be Jesse Joe Dylan. So imagine Jesse Joe Dylan calling you
like, girl, you know what I’m saying? We’re talking about two time Grammy
nominated songwriter of the Year. That’s crazy for a girl. That’s nuts. >> Speaker 2: Amazing.
>> Speaker 1: Amy Allen won this year, another girl. >> Speaker 2: We should have her
on the podcast if she wants to be. >> Speaker 1: Jesse would love. Jesse’s awesome. And the fun thing is she doesn’t. She doesn’t talk about it a lot cuz
she’s an old school songwriter. She doesn’t sing her songs. She don’t play them. She don’t do writers rounds. She doesn’t sing with the artist. Like, she’s an old school. Like. >> Speaker 2: Yeah.
>> Speaker 1: It’s generational with her. By the way,
you’ll really relate to this story. Jesse Jo Dillon’s father is Dean Dillon, who wrote about every George Strait
song you’ve ever heard. >> Speaker 2: Really? >> Speaker 1: Yep. >> Speaker 2: Wow.
My grandmother’s favorite. >> Speaker 1: Dude, he’s the kid. >> Speaker 2: My God.
Yeah. >> Speaker 1: Your
grandmama had good taste. >> Speaker 2: She did. She did for sure. And she drank Vodka and
smoked cigarettes till her dying day. >> Speaker 1: One of us,
one of us, one of us. She might know my mom. She might have known my mom. I think that’s what my
mom’s doing right now. >> Speaker 2: Well, Jelly, I can’t thank
you enough for giving us all this time and dropping so much of your knowledge on
us and just thanks for letting me. >> Speaker 1: Ramble for so long. >> Speaker 2: No, it’s-
>> Speaker 1: I’ve been wanting to talk about rationally,
I can’t talk to nobody else about it. >> [LAUGH]
>> Speaker 2: Well, you can talk to us about it anytime. >> [LAUGH]
>> And it’s not, it’s who you are. It’s not what you do. >> Speaker 1: Yes, ma’. Am. This ain’t what we do. It’s who we are. >> Speaker 2: It’s not what you do. It’s who you are it. I love that. >> Speaker 1: Yes, ma’.
Am. >> Speaker 2: Thank you. >> Thank you, love you all.

Jelly Roll opens up to Stephanie McMahon about training for his in-ring debut at SummerSlam, his incredible weight loss and how he fell in love with wrestling. A WWE & Fanatics Original Production.