Chris LeDoux – Strugglin’ Years

🎵 Song Information

• Title: “Strugglin’ Years”

• Artist: Chris LeDoux

• Writer: Tim Johnson

• Album: Under This Old Hat (22nd studio album)

• Label: Liberty Records

• Release Date: July 5, 1993 

• Genre: Country (with Western influences)

• Length: Approximately 2:46 

🎶 Song Content 

“Strugglin’ Years” paints a heartfelt portrait of a young family weathering hardship together. They nurse old junk cars and struggle to pay bills, yet their love shines brightest during these tough times: “our love was clear in the strugglin’ years.” In the verses, LeDoux describes how he, his partner, and their four boys face life’s challenges side by side. Despite the constant financial stress and emotional strain, they lean on one another to overcome their fears.

The chorus underlines this resilience: “hard times come easy, and so did the tears,” highlighting that grief and hardship were ever-present companions. Yet, the bond between him and his partner stayed strong—“strong were the ties that bound you and I.” He reflects that although success eventually came, the most cherished memories aren’t of prosperity but of those raw, formative strugglin’ years. As the children grow and leave the nest, nostalgia washes over him: he misses their presence and the warmth of those days. Ultimately, the song celebrates how adversity shaped their family’s unity and connection.

🔍 Exploring the Curious Hook 

What makes “Strugglin’ Years” compelling is the idea that the toughest times can forge the strongest bonds—and that people often look back on hardship with fondness. When LeDoux sings, “Time brought success and I always said you’d have the best, but the times we hold dear are the strugglin’ years,” he hints that emotional richness doesn’t always come with windfalls. Instead, it comes from shared struggle, sacrifice, and mutual support. This paradox—preferring hardship over comfort—is what draws listeners in.

Why does he miss the difficult periods even after success? Because adversity tested their love, revealing their true character. Overcoming obstacles together is a form of emotional alchemy: it strengthens empathy, gratitude, and intimacy. When the kids grow up and leave, the emptiness emphasizes how those lean years were vibrantly alive with togetherness. The curious hook here is that memory softens pain—leaving behind a glimmer of warmth and pride.

That twist questions our assumptions: is it wealth or togetherness that truly matters? LeDoux suggests that facing life’s challenges as a team is more valuable than any financial milestone. In this way, the song becomes more than a family story—it becomes a universal reflection on resilience, memory, and what makes life meaningful.

Video

Lyrics

We had our fill of old junk cars and unpaid bills
But our love was clear in the struggling years
Up against the world four young boys and our little girl
We fought life’s fears in the struggling years
And hard times came easy and so did the tears
Strong were the ties that bound you and I in the struggling years

Time brought success and I always said you’d have the best
But the times we hold dear are the struggling years
And when the kids are grown and startin’ out on their own
We’ll miss them here and the struggling years
And hard times came easy…
Strong are the ties that bind you and I thank the struggling year