Billy Ray Cyrus Said 1 ‘Hannah Montana’ Song Reflects His Life

Billy Ray Cyrus was just as much a part of Disney‘s Hannah Montana phenomenon as Miley Cyrus was. For example, Billy Ray wrote a song for Hannah Montana: The Movie that was about his experiences making the show. Interestingly, some aspects of that movie have aged in an unexpected way.

Billy Ray Cyrus wrote a song he called a cornerstone of ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’

Hannah Montana: The Movie is the rare anti-Hollywood movie to come straight from Tinseltown. The plot line centers on Hannah Montana going back to her home state of Tennessee because Hollywood is supposedly too shallow. While in the South, she falls in love with a cowboy and matures a bit. The film champions Southern small-town values over Californian careerism. Who knows if Hollywood could make a movie like this today without sparking a major controversy?

During a 2009 interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Cyrus discussed writing a song that appeared on the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack. “If you download ‘Back to Tennessee,’ and listen to the whole song, you’ll hear exactly how I felt after four years of Hannah Montana, and living in Los Angeles and giving up my previous life and existence and who I am and where I come from,” he said. 

“You’ll hear a guy who’s immersed in music, and my love and desire and need to go back home,” he said. “When you listen to the words to ‘Back to Tennessee’ you see why it becomes part of the cornerstone of the film.” The cornerstone of the film is probably Miley Cyrus’ power ballad “The Climb” because the writing of the song is a tipping point in Hannah Montana’s maturation. Regardless, the “Achy Breaky Heart” star is allowed to think whatever he wants about the movie.

‘Hannah Montana’ reflected Cyrus family values

Billy Ray connected “Back to Tennessee” to one of his family’s values. “My dad used to say it’s important to be aware of where you’re at and always be focused on the future and know where you want to go, but most importantly, never forget where you come from,” he said. “And in our real lives, [Miley] and I both needed to be home and remember who we were and where we come from.”

Disney has a reputation for sugarcoating real life for the kids. Despite this, Billy Ray praised the studio for allowing his music to be honest and real. Billy Ray said that Johnny Cash inspired him to be an original.

How Billy Ray Cyrus’ ‘Back to Tennessee’ performed

“Back to Tennessee” was no “Old Town Road” but it was a modest hit for Billy Ray. That song peaked at No. 47 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, staying on the chart for 11 weeks. That tune appeared on the soundtrack of Hannah Montana: The Movie. That soundtrack topped the Billboard 200 for a single week, lasting on the Billboard 200 for 71 weeks. The album might not be as iconic as other movie soundtracks like Purple Rain or Frozen, but it did very well for a record tied to the movie adaptation of a Disney Channel sitcom.

“Back to Tennessee” did pretty well for what it was and it provided more insight into Billy Ray’s psyche than anyone expected.