The Tennessee trio Garrett Boys, touring the nation in support of their debut album “It Runs Deep,” like to ask a question before starting a concert.
“Is anybody here from Akron, Ohio?”
If no one speaks up in the audience, lead singer and acoustic guitarist Stephen Garrett says: “Good.”
But if someone shouts out “We’re from Akron,” he replies: “Oooh, this might be a little awkward.”
Either way, the group tears into the opening song “Back to Akron.”
“I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron,” Garrett sings. “I don’t care what your mama said. I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron. ’Less my body’s gone cold and dead.”
As you might expect, there’s a story behind the nearly 2½ minute song. Actually, there are a couple of stories.
Garrett explained the origins during a phone conversation from Interstate 80 in Indiana as the group drove from Cleveland to Chicago for a show.
‘It Runs Deep’ is about family
In addition to Stephen, the Appalachian folk trio features his brother Russell Garrett on upright bass and Stephen’s son Carter Garrett on mandolin. Their 11-song album, recorded in Nashville with acclaimed producer Ray Kennedy, came out in February 2026 on Pond Ridge Records.
Containing elements of bluegrass, folk, country and Americana, “It Runs Deep” is a love letter to 500 wooded acres in Overton County, Tennessee, the Garrett home for nine generations. Each song tells a personal story.
“So the record is really about our family,” Garrett said. “We’re just out kind of telling our family story.”
But the catalyst of “Back to Akron” involved food poisoning.
Garrett and his wife, the former Jaimie Little, traveled to Akron in 2024 to attend the funeral of her grandfather, Frank Buccigrossi, 84, of Barberton.
“I woke up that morning with some sort of vertigo illness that I’ve never had before in my life and haven’t had since,” Garrett recalled. “For about five hours, I was just violently ill and missed the whole ceremony.”
He finally felt well enough to drive back to Tennessee. Somewhere on Interstate 71 near Cincinnati, a humorous phrase popped into his head.
“I just sort of spawned this song idea ‘I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron,’ ” he said.
It ran deeper, though. Once he came up with the line, he realized the song was about “Grandad.”
A Firestone worker in 1950s
Edwin B. Garrett and his wife, Peggy, moved from Tennessee to Ohio in 1955 to start a new life. He landed a job in the synthetic laboratory at Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. in Akron.
Edwin and Peggy welcomed two children here — Kim in 1956 and Marty in 1957 — and changed addresses often, moving from Marion Place to Gale Street to West Crosier Street. Marty grew up to become Stephen and Russell’s father and Carter’s grandfather.
The song “Back to Akron” is told from Edwin’s point of view as he toils in a factory while missing his Tennessee home.
“My mother-in-law said she’d make a few calls,” Stephen Garrett sings. “By Monday morning, I was hired. Nearly 50 hours later still breakin’ my back from rollin’ them Firestone tires.
“And the smell of that rubber was burnin’ my brain. Enough to drive a country boy insane. I’m thinkin’ ’bout leavin’ just as fast as I can. Put my Chevy down a southbound lane.”
The song’s protagonist decides that he’d rather be haulin’ logs or sloppin’ hogs than spend another day in the city.
“If I was to head out now, maybe somehow I’d see my baby before the sun come up,” Garrett sings. “But I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron. I don’t care what your mama said. I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron. ’Less my body’s gone cold and dead.”
Grandad was a songwriter
Without a doubt, Edwin Garrett was a big influence on his grandchildren.
He didn’t just work at the rubber factory. In his spare time, he pursued a career in country music.
“He was a musician and a songwriter,” Garrett explained. “Most of his endeavoring to be a music artist happened while he was in Akron.”
Edwin played guitar and sang in western jamborees at Akron’s Paramount Theater, formed a group called Ed Garrett and the Lonesome Cowboys and recorded such songs as “Don’t Try to Pretend,” “Propaganda,” “I’ll Never Love Again” and “The Lonesome Cowboy (and the Dance Hall Darlin’ ”) on his own label, EDG-E.
His descendants have photos of Edwin dressed in cowboy duds and playing guitar in Akron as well as pictures of him in a lab coat at Firestone. And they own copies of his rare 45 RPM singles.
But Edwin gave up on Akron. After six years in Ohio, the family moved back to Tennessee with two young kids in tow.
A recurring theme of “It Runs Deep” is the persistent call of home.
“My grandfather is a great story of that,” Garrett said. “He went to Akron to work and was making good money there, but felt the pull to come back and be the steward of the land.”
Although Edwin continued to write and play songs, he stopped chasing a music career. Instead, he dedicated his life to education, working for nearly 50 years as a teacher, coach and principal at schools in Tennessee.
Edwin was 90 when he passed away in 2023. Peggy, his wife of 65 years, died in 2020 at age 84. They are buried along with their children Kim and Marty at the Garrett Family Cemetery in Allons, Tennessee.
“Ballad of Ed and Peg” is one of the songs on the new album. Garrett Boys also included a cover of Edwin Garrett’s previously unrecorded song “Drag in the River.”
Grandad’s music has finally gone national.
‘Back to Akron’ reaction
Stephen Garrett said “Back to Akron” is usually the first song the band plays in concert, and audiences love it. As soon as the tune begins, people begin to laugh and sing along.
The tune went like gangbusters during a Cleveland show Aug. 13 at the Beachland Ballroom, where the crowd howled.
“We’ve been surprised at how well it’s been received,” he said. “We were a little nervous at first.”
The trio already broke its vow, though. They came back to Akron for an interview and four-song set at 91.3 The Summit FM to promote the Cleveland event.
Everyone treated them so well that Garrett said the group would be interested in returning for a concert sometime.
“I definitely could see us coming back to Akron again,” he said. “I guess Akron wasn’t so bad after all.”
Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com
BACK TO AKRON
(Words and music by Stephen Garrett, Russell Garrett and Carter Garrett. From the 2026 album “It Runs Deep” on Pond Ridge Records)
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
I don’t care what your mama said.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
’Less my body’s gone cold and dead.
I been spendin’ my time
On a factory line
Rather be haulin’ logs instead.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
I don’t care what your mama said.
My mother-in-law said she’d make a few calls.
By Monday morning, I was hired.
Nearly 50 hours later
Still breakin’ my back
From rollin’ them Firestone tires.
And the smell of that rubber was burnin’ my brain
Enough to drive a country boy insane.
I’m thinkin’ ’bout leavin’ just as fast as I can.
Put my Chevy down a southbound lane.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
I don’t care what your mama said.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
’Less my body’s gone cold and dead.
I been spendin’ my time
On a factory line
Rather be haulin’ logs instead.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
I don’t care what your mama said.
Well, that white concrete
Is all I’d seen
No matter which way I went.
And then payday comes
It ain’t much fun
When that money’s done all been spent.
Yeah, none of these people
Wanna talk to me.
I think I’ve ’bout had enough.
If I was to head out now
Maybe somehow
I’d see my baby before the sun come up.
But I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
I don’t care what your mama said.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
’Less my body’s gone cold and dead.
I’ve been spendin’ my time
On a factory line.
Rather be haulin’ logs instead.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
I don’t care what your mama said.
Yeah, I been spendin’ my time
On a factory line.
Rather be sloppin’ hogs instead.
I ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron.
I don’t care what your mama said.
I don’t care what your mama said.
I don’t care what your mama said.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tennessee folk trio ‘ain’t ever goin’ back to Akron’
Reporting by Mark J. Price, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark J. Price, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
