Released: November 4, 2015

Featuring: Rhiannon Giddens

Songwriter: Jeff Hyde Luke Dick Eric Church

Producer: Jay Joyce

[Verse 1]
If I could kill a word and watch it die
I'd poison "never," shoot "goodbye"
Beat "regret" when I felt I had the nerve
Yeah, I'd pound "fear" to a pile of sand
Choke "lonely" out with my bare hands
I'd hang "hate" so that it can't be heard
If I could only kill a word

[Verse 2]
I'd take "brokeness" out back
And break "heartbreak," stand there and laugh
Right in its face while shootin' it the bird
I'd put "upset" down in its place
I'd squeeze the life out of "disgrace"
Lay "over" under six cold feet of dirt
If I could only kill a word

[Chorus]
Give me sticks, give stones
Bend my body, break my bones
Use staff and rod to turn me black and blue
Cause you can't unhear, you can't unsay
But if were up to me to change
I'd turn "lies" and "hate" to "love" and "truth"
If I could only kill a word

[Verse 3]
I'd knock out "temptation"'s teeth
I'd sever "evil," let it bleed
Then light up "wicked," stand and watch it burn
I'd take "vice" and I'd take "vile"
Tie 'em up there with "hostile"
Hang 'em high and leave 'em for the birds
If I could only kill a word

[Chorus]
So give me sticks, give stones
Bend my body, break my bones
Use staff and rod to turn me black and blue
Cause you can't unhear, you can't unsay
But if were up to me to change
I'd turn "lies" and "hate" to "love" and "truth"
If I could only kill a word
If I could only kill a word

Eric Church

Eric Church is an American country music singer-songwriter from Granite Falls, North Carolina. After graduating from Appalachian State University with a business degree in 2000, Eric became engaged to a Spanish teacher from Lenior, NC whose father attempted to deter his musical aspirations by offering him a corporate career in Denver. After turning down her father’s offer, Church’s ex-fiance broke the engagement, giving Church motivation to move to Nashville and begin focusing solely on his music. Recollections of this turning point in Church’s life are heard throughout his lyrical portfolio (most prominently in “Those I’ve Loved”).

After a period of being overlooked by record labels and producers, Church was eventually signed to Capitol Records in 2006, making his debut with the album, Sinners Like Me. The album produced four singles on the Billboard Country Chart, “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines,” “Guys Like Me,” and the album’s title track.

His second album, 2009’s Carolina, produced three more “Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most,” and “Hell on the Heart.”